New Delhi, September 27
After carrying out the inspection of the Tihar Jail complex in compliance with the Delhi High Court ruling, a District and Sessions Judge, has submitted his report stating that the living conditions of the inmates needs improvement.
The report has, however, ruled out that the jail inmates were being treated in inhuman manner. In his report, Judge J P Singh said the living conditions of these inmates, however, need to be improved. He pointed out that the jail wards were overcrowded because of the shortage of space.
Mr. Singh hoped that the three new jails, which are under construction, two in the Tihar complex and one in Rohini, and are in addition to the seven existing jails in Tihar, would reduce the problems of overcrowding. The new jails are expected to be functional by December this year.
The report made suggestions to improve the living conditions of jail inmates, providing them basic facilities and doing away with the cumbersome practice of transporting under trials and prisoners between jails and courts for procedural formalities by introducing
tele/video conferencing.
The report was submitted before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice B. C. Patel and Justice A. K. Sikri, which directed the Delhi Government to inform the Court about the time required to make the improvements as suggested in the report.
The judges also asked the authorities to consider creating a mechanism whereby a portion of the earnings made by a convict while working in the jail could be given to the victim of his crime as compensation.
The report came in response to a petition filed by advocate L R Luthra, which claimed that as the number of convicts and under trials was beyond the capacity of the jails, owing to which the inmates were forced to live in inhuman conditions. The petition also sought provision of basic facilities so that prisoners could undergo their sentence with dignity.
