ATTOCK, March 28 District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Tariq Abbasi, during his monthly visit to the district jail on Thursday, ordered the release of 47 undertrials on bail.

Superintendent Jail Babar Ali said those freed against personal surety bonds also included a juvenile.

Granting them bail, the judge advised all the undertrials to behave like a responsible and good citizen and avoid indulgence in any more criminal activity.

He also directed the relevant lower courts to expedite the proceedings in their cases.

Later, the judge also inspected different departments of jail, including the hospital, kitchen, and juvenile and women barracks, to review the facilities for the jailmates. Medical Officer Dr Syed Mohammad Ali Shah and other jail officials were also present on the occasion.

UNIQUE PROTEST

An undertrial on Wednesday kept the district jail authorities on their toes for more than six hours by climbing up an 80-foot tree in protest against his detention in the infamous Kasuri Chaki, or punishment cell, officials said.

The accused identified as Hashim, who had been charged with murder, climbed the tree inside the prison at around 1pm for being kept, along with some others, in the punishment cell.

Demanding immediate relocation to a normal barrack, the undertrial prisoners threatened that he would commit suicide by jumping off the tree if they were not shifted.

The jail officials negotiated with the prisoner and he finally climbed down voluntarily shortly after 7pm. However, he was again locked up in the same punishment cell.

It is pertinent to mention that the undertrial had committed the same act around two weeks back. He and some other jail mates are being kept in the punishment cell due to their alleged misbehaviour with prison staff and violation of discipline.