A team of lawyers headed by two government advocates has been sent to Andhra Pradesh to secure bail for people of Tamil Nadu lodged in the prisons of neighbouring state over allegations of red-sanders smuggling, government said here today.
An official release here said a legal team headed by two government advocates has been sent to Andhra Pradesh to secure bail for those in prisons in that State.
"This team will take necessary steps to secure bail for those in Andhra Pradesh prisons by filing bail applications in appropriate courts," the release said.
"Due to the efforts of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa the way has been paved for the release of Tamil Nadu men in Andhra Pradesh prisons."
A Government Order has been released allocating Rs eight lakh as advance for case related expenditure.
It recalled Jayalalithaa's letter to her Andhra Pradesh counterpart on October 15 seeking legal aid for prisoners in jail exceeding 90 days and against whom charge-sheets were yet to be filed. Such prisoners were booked on allegations of red-sanders smuggling.
The government said due to such efforts, out of the 516 Tamil Nadu prisoners, 172 were released on bail and 344 continue to be in Andhra Pradesh prisons.
Applications from the kin of those in Andhra Pradesh prisons were received by District Collectors in accordance with an order of the Chief Minister, the release added.
312 applications were sent to Andhra Pradesh State Legal Services Authority through its counterparts here by the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary.
Government jobs were provided to the kin of 20 men who were killed on April 7 this year in a police encounter in Andhra Pradesh considering their poor background.
On October 31, DMK chief Karunanidhi had asked his party lawyers to take legal steps to secure the release of Tamil Nadu labourers in Andhra Pradesh prisons arrested on charges of red sander smuggling.
He had alleged that "all those (arrested) Tamils are languishing in jails there without any enquiry."
"When Tamil Nadu government has not taken any steps for their release, party lawyers should intervene and must immediately make efforts for securing their release," he had said.
