November 21 violence in prison: HC panel red flags alarm use, language barrier at Tihar Jail

In its report, the panel said there was no “justification” to sound the alarm, following which violence broke out. The panel also said the inmates found it “extremely difficult” to communicate with TSP personnel.

The committee noted that the alarm usage is spelled out in the Delhi Jail Manual, which states that whenever a prisoner is found to be missing, a disturbance is reported or if there is an attempt to break in or out of jail, an “alarm parade” should be called.

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“In the present set of facts, there appeared to be no reason for the in charge of the TSP to sound an alarm. The prisoners, numbering a few, were only objecting to the seizure of their pillow covers and assuming that they had raised their voices during the course of their arguments, even then it could be no justification for sounding the alarm,” the panel said.

The panel said communication between inmates and the search team comprising TSP personnel was “extremely difficult”. The report stated that prisoners were putting forth their grievance on the seizure of pillow covers, but whether that was “understood” by TSP personnel in “proper context” could not be confirmed. “Even during the interaction with the committee, it was extremely difficult for TSP personnel to respond to queries… in English or Hindi. Similar was the scenario with QRT…,” the panel said.

The report also said that prisoners in the high risk ward of jail number 1 feared for their lives. “They apprehend that they might be killed on some pretext and are expecting an assurance that no physical harm would come to them,” the report said.

Additional Inspector General (Prisons) Rajkumar said he “cannot comment as of now”.