(1) IT is a matter of serious concern that the population of the undertrial prisoners in various jails in the country is almost 73 per cent of the entire jail population. Learned counsel appearing for various States and Union Territories are directed to impress upon the respective State Government and Union Territory Administrations to take effective steps for filing challans/reports particularly in cases which involve petty offences and for which the undertrials have been languishing in jail for some time, within six weeks from today. The States and the Union Territories shall also take steps for expediting the filing of challans/reports in other cases and particularly those which have been pending for a long time. (2) NOTICE shall also issue to the learned Attorney General to assist the Court in the disposal of this writ petition, which espouses the cause of the undertrial prisoners and is a matter of grave concern. A copy of the relevant record, as identified by the learned amicus curiae, shall be made available to the learned Attorney General. (3) LEARNED amicus curiae has drawn our attention to an article titled "Hells Prisoners" which appeared in the issue of India Today dated 17-8- 1998. The article is authored by M/s Ashok Malik and Sayantan Chakravarty. In this article, inter alia, there is reference to the case of one Ajoy Ghosh who is reported to be confined in jail in Calcutta. (4) MR H.K. Puri, learned counsel for the State of West Bengal is directed to seek instructions regarding the case of Shri Ghosh from the State Government and file the status report. (5) ALLOWED. (6) THE article referred to in this interim application shall be taken note of with the main case. (7) LIST the matter on 7-12-1999, as requested.