The matter has, for the first time, opened up a debate on the violation of rights of civil prisoners. Representational pic

A young Mumbaikar, who found himself in a peculiar situation recently, has exposed a major lacuna in the state's prison system. While he has been sentenced to three months in prison in a civil matter, it has come to light that there is not a single civil jail in the state. Taking note of this, in a landmark judgment, Bombay High Court judge G S Patel, on April 26, dismissed his case.