Tihar to designate common area for high risk prisoners, provide TV; HC disposes plea seeking facilities

Delhi High Court on Monday disposed of a plea seeking direction to provide facilities to high security ward prisoners in Tihar jail. The Tihar Jail, represented by advocate Gautam Narayan, submitted that a common room would be created and provision of TV would be extended by the end of September 2020.

New Delhi:The Delhi High Court on Monday disposed of a petition seeking directions to provide facilities to high security ward prisoners after Tihar Jail authorities submitted that they will designate a new common area for them and provide television.

Following these submissions, a division bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan disposed of the petition observing that there is no more a need to monitor this case.

On the last date of hearing, the Tihar jail authorities were directed to take instructions for providing facilities including a TV to the high security ward prisoners in the jail.

The petition filed by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) in 2018 alleged that prisoners in high security ward and in general ward were being discriminated against.

Advocates Maninder Singh and Harpreet Singh Hora, arguing for the petitioner, submitted that a letter was received from several Tihar prisoners in 2018 wherein they had raised grievances about discrimination between prisoners lodged in high security ward and general ward of Tihar Jail.

The petitioners argued that the discrimination is against the rules laid down in Delhi Prison Manual and against the law laid down in judgment of Supreme court in Sunil Batra case.

The Tihar Jail, represented by advocate Gautam Narayan, submitted that a common room would be created and provision of TV would be extended by the end of September 2020.

ANI report