Meghalaya High Court summons IG of Prisons over illegal detention

The Meghalaya High Court has summoned the Inspector General of Prisons regarding the continued incarceration of a Bangladeshi national. The individual has been held in jail for over a year despite having completed a six-month sentence.

A division bench consisting of Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice W. Diengdoh heard the case, which was filed by the Registrar General of the High Court. The court was informed that the delay is due to pending nationality verification by the Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh.

The court rejected this explanation, stating that the prisoner should have been moved to a detention center or deported immediately upon the completion of the sentence. The bench noted that “detaining the Bangladeshi national beyond his sentence period amounts to illegal detention” and warned that compensation may be granted if the individual remains imprisoned. The IG of Prisons is required to appear in court on September 9 to clarify the individual's future placement.