HC directs state government to file affidavit on condition of jails

In its petition,APDR alleged that as a punishment,the prisoners are transferred illegally from one jail to another if they demanded improvement in the quality of food.

The petition,which came up for hearing before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S S Nijjar and Justice Biswanth Somadder on Tuesday,requested the High Court to order an inquiry into the matter by an official of the rank of a district judge.

The NGO in its petition states that a section of prisoners in the Presidency Jail held a protest in September 2008 demanding better quality of food during Ramjan. Following the protest,the jail authorities tried to shift Guddu and Azaruddin,two protesting inmates to other jails,which led to more protests by prisoners.

“The guards of the Presidency Jail used force on the protestors,as a result 12 prisoner were injured on September 17,2008,” read the petition. “Later,two injured prisoners — Azaruddin and Jahangir— died in a hospital on September 22,2008. The police did not take any action despite a complaint lodged by Azaruddin’s family.”

Counsel for APDR said that jails are overcrowded and the government has failed to maintain discipline among prisoners. The counsel added that another protest was held in the Howrah jail in December,2008,against the poor quality of food.