3 min readNew DelhiAug 28, 2014 02:41 AM IST
First published on: Aug 28, 2014 at 02:41 AM IST
Numerous PILs were filed alleging torture of inmates at Tihar Jail. (Photo: Express Archive)
The Delhi High Court has asked the government and Tihar Jail authorities to hold consultations and give suggestions to improve the condition of prisoners in Tihar Jail, after noting that numerous incidents of violence and torture of prisoners had occurred in the jail premises over the last several years.
The court of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw took note of reports filed by various additional sessions judges who had visited the jail between 2012-2013 to monitor the situation. The reports showed that there were multiple complaints of torture and of inmates being attacked with blades. The report also cited a lack of proper medical facilities at the jail.
Advocate Ritu Kumar, for NGO Multi Action Research Group (MARG), also argued that despite reports of violence and negligence, no action had been taken to control the situation.
The court has now said that it will issue directions to tackle the problem after receiving suggestions from the NGO and senior advocate Colin Gonsalves. The court also accepted Gonsalves’ suggestion to include noted academician and former Delhi University Law faculty dean B B Pande in the consultations as an “independent expert” to analyse the problems in Tihar and give suggestions to improve the situation.
MARG had filed two PILs in 2012 on torture of prisoners in the jail, following which a separate PIL had been filed alleging medical negligence after an undertrial had died of complications during treatment in the jail the same year.
The court had also taken up the issue of prisoner safety in a suo motu PIL earlier this year, after news reports indicated that 33 undertrials had died of unnatural causes at Tihar in the first few months of this year.
Another PIL, filed by Advocate Amit Sahni this year, also alleged that lawyers were not being allowed access to their clients in the jail premises. The court had clubbed all the pleas together to monitor the issue of prisoner safety.
During the hearing, Advocate Gonsalves argued that there was a need to install more CCTV cameras and set up a complaints system to monitor the situation. Government counsel Zubeda Begum also told the court that 248 CCTV cameras were already in place and 250 more will soon be installed.
Numerous PILs were filed alleging torture of inmates at Tihar Jail. (Photo: Express Archive)
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