High Court issues notice
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 05 2026: The Division Bench of the High Court of Manipur yesterday issued a notice to the State of Manipur in connection with the suo motu writ petition (Civil) taken up by the Registrar General of the High Court of Manipur regarding the establishment, functioning, and expansion of Open Correctional Institutions (OCIs).

The Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice M Sundar and Justice A Guneshwar Sharma, issued the notice returnable before May 25 to the Commissioner (Home), Director General of Police, Inspector General of Prisons, SP of Manipur Central Jail Sajiwa, and SP of Manipur Central Jail Imphal.

The writ petition highlighted that a Supreme Court's February 26, 2026 judgment issued various directions to ensure the Constitutional mandate of equality, non-discrimination, and the right to live with dignity under Articles 14, 15, and 21 of the Constitution of India is meaningfully implemented in the administration of prisons across the country.

The order emphasised that OCIs should function as effective instruments of rehabilitation, reformation, and social reintegration in line with the Constitutional vision of criminal justice.

The petition noted that Manipur is among the ten States that currently do not have any functioning OCIs.

As a first step, the State was directed to undertake a feasibility and necessity assessment for establishing OCIs and, based on this assessment, develop a protocol for setting up OCIs and/or open and semi-open barracks.

This protocol was to be submitted to the Monitoring Committee constituted in the State within three months of the Supreme Court judgment.

The suo motu writ petition also mentioned that the Supreme Court had directed all High Courts to register suo motu writ petitions as a continuing mandamus to monitor compliance, particularly regarding the establishment, functioning, and expansion of OCIs.

To ensure effective implementation, every State and Union Territory is required to constitute a monitoring committee for managing OCIs.

The State monitoring committees are tasked with ensuring compliance with Supreme Court directives, overseeing the functioning and expansion of OCIs, and facilitating the transfer of eligible prisoners from closed prisons to OCIs.

The next hearing will take place on May 25 .

Comment