"Legal aid should be provided to the undertrials belonging to the (Muslim) minority community, as it will enable them to return to mainstream," Khan told reporters.
Claiming that most of the accused from the minority community are first-time offenders and are arrested in minor cases, the minister said most of them languish in prisons due to lack of legal aid.
Khan was talking to reporters after a meeting, which was also attended by other officials of the Minority department, with Maharashtra ATS chief Rakesh Maria and IG (prisons) Surendra Kumar.
"After a survey conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), it has come to light that 70 to 80 per cent prisoners from the minority community are first-time offenders," he said.
The TISS, which was appointed by the Minority Development department to carry out the survey, collected the data from 20 jails in the state. The survey also revealed that out of the 20,000 prisoners in these jails, 7,000 prisoners belonged to the minority community.
Khan said that in order to rehabilitate the prisoners, they should be given vocational training and counselling.
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Asked if the state government provides any free legal aid to the prisoners from minority community to defend their cases, Khan said, "Even if free legal aide is provided, due to the lack of trust with the lawyers, the accused reject them. The accused doubt the capability of the lawyer, who are minimally paid by the state legal aide panel."
"The government pays Rs 900 and Rs 1,200 respectively to those lawyers who represent the accused in district courts and sessions courts," he said.
He said that a high-level meeting will soon be held in this regard with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Home Minister R R Patil on this issue.
ATS chief Rakesh Maria suggested that prominent lawyers should take at least 2-10 cases of the prisoners, who are economically weak, as part of social commitment, the minister said.