HC seeks status report on prisoner's plea alleging discrimination in Delhi jail
May 09, 2022
New Delhi [India], May 9 : The Delhi High Court on Monday sought a status report from jail authorities on a plea of an accused in the NIA case namely Hardeep Singh alias Shera who is currently lodged in Rohini Jail, alleging discriminatory treatment at hands of the officials.
His father has approached the High Court of Delhi seeking medical treatment, telephonic calls, the conduct of an X-ray, and a chair/stool to sit on.
The Bench of Justice Chander Dhari Singh on Monday sought the response of jail authorities and listed the matter for August 18, 2022. Meanwhile, Court has orally asked the respondent authority to provide the medical treatment in the meanwhile.
The petition has been filed through Advocate Harpreet Singh Hora seeking directions to the jail authorities for providing the basic amenities, medicines for several body aches, and a telephone in order to communicate with his family members.
The lawyer further submitted that the petitioner has his family in Punjab and in the absence of a telephone, he is unable to communicate with his father and family members. The other prisoners are provided with telephonic calls as per the jail manual, but the petitioner is not being provided so, for reasons best known to the respondents.
The plea submitted that the present writ petition has been filed by the petitioner regarding the unconstitutional treatment met out to the petitioner in Rohini jail, to challenge the acts of the jail authorities for depriving the petitioner of his 'Right to Life' by not providing the basic amenities and medical assistance despite being aware of the fact that the petitioner is a known case of several injuries and body aches.
It is settled law that the prisoners cannot be made laboratories of torture, warehouses in which human commodities can be sadistically kept. It is the core value of the Constitution of India that prisoners have unalienable rights conferred upon them by international treaties and covenants; they have a right to health and seek medical care/treatment whenever necessary, read the plea.
