<p>In a landmark judgement, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday directed jail officials to facilitate conjugal visits for and artificial insemination for prison inmates. The court said that prisoners can be allowed to have sex with their wedded partners, if they want to have children. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The ruling is historic for various reasons. So far prisoners have been deprived of conjugal visits or artificial insemination in jails in India. Despite, repeated requests from NGOs and human right activists, there has been no breakthrough in the matter.<br /><br />A public interest petition was filed in Andhra Pradesh high court in 2012 over the issue. It was contended that conjugal visits can check homosexual activities and related problems in jails. <br /><br />The ruling of the bench headed by Justice Surya Kant came in a plea filed by a couple, Jasvir Singh and Sonia, who are on the death row for kidnapping and murdering a minor boy. The couple's plea, however, was quashed by the court, citing the nature of the crime committed by the duo. <br /><br />However, the bench passed its order on the matter for the benefit of the public at large. The court observed that it is subject of fundamental right of life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution. <br /><br />"A society which is currently involved in academic and intellectual debates on 'gay-rights' or the recognition of 'third-gender', cannot shy away nor can it keep concealed under the carpet the pragmatic concept of conjugal visits of the jail inmates," the court ruled, according to a <a href="http://bit.ly/1Dw5cOB">Times of India </a>report. <br /><br />“Such a right, however, is to be regulated as per the policy established by the state which may deny the same to a class or category of convicts as the aforesaid right is not an absolute right and is subject to the penological interests of the state,” the bench added, according to <a href="http://bit.ly/1Dxj637">Indian Express</a>.<br /><br />The court has directed Punjab government to constitute a panel headed by a retired HC judge to oversee and implement reforms in jails. The panel would also conceive jail policies to create an environment subtitle for conjugal visits.</p>
<p>In a landmark judgement, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday directed jail officials to facilitate conjugal visits for and artificial insemination for prison inmates. The court said that prisoners can be allowed to have sex with their wedded partners, if they want to have children. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The ruling is historic for various reasons. So far prisoners have been deprived of conjugal visits or artificial insemination in jails in India. Despite, repeated requests from NGOs and human right activists, there has been no breakthrough in the matter.<br /><br />A public interest petition was filed in Andhra Pradesh high court in 2012 over the issue. It was contended that conjugal visits can check homosexual activities and related problems in jails. <br /><br />The ruling of the bench headed by Justice Surya Kant came in a plea filed by a couple, Jasvir Singh and Sonia, who are on the death row for kidnapping and murdering a minor boy. The couple's plea, however, was quashed by the court, citing the nature of the crime committed by the duo. <br /><br />However, the bench passed its order on the matter for the benefit of the public at large. The court observed that it is subject of fundamental right of life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution. <br /><br />"A society which is currently involved in academic and intellectual debates on 'gay-rights' or the recognition of 'third-gender', cannot shy away nor can it keep concealed under the carpet the pragmatic concept of conjugal visits of the jail inmates," the court ruled, according to a <a href="http://bit.ly/1Dw5cOB">Times of India </a>report. <br /><br />“Such a right, however, is to be regulated as per the policy established by the state which may deny the same to a class or category of convicts as the aforesaid right is not an absolute right and is subject to the penological interests of the state,” the bench added, according to <a href="http://bit.ly/1Dxj637">Indian Express</a>.<br /><br />The court has directed Punjab government to constitute a panel headed by a retired HC judge to oversee and implement reforms in jails. The panel would also conceive jail policies to create an environment subtitle for conjugal visits.</p>