Tihar inmate abuse case: HC tells cops to register FIR against staff

Amid claims of brutalities on Tihar jail inmates, the High Court has directed the Delhi police to register an FIR against the jail staff alleged to have assaulted 47 prisoners in September this year.

A bench of Justice S Muralidhar and Justice IS Mehta also expressed its displeasure on the non-constitution of a three-member committee in a time-bound manner as directed by the court.

Prior to this, the court had stressed that functional CCTVs is a "non-compromisable imperative" and ordered the government to set up a high-level committee to suggest measures for enhancing security of all jails in the national capital.

The bench had given ten days to the Home Secretary to constitute the committee comprising a retired district judge of Delhi as the chairperson, a senior official of the National Informatics Centre, and a senior official of the Delhi Police, not below the rank of a deputy commissioner of police.

During the proceedings on Thursday, the Ministry of Home Affairs sought the nomination of the members from the HC, prompting the bench to clarify that the MHA would act without further delay.

The prisoners who had alleged torture and assault, highlighted the inquiry report and nature of medical injuries, arguing that there should be an FIR in this regard. The court agreed while asking the local SHO to register a case against those identified in the report.

Advocate Mehmood Pracha, appearing for undertrial Jamal, lodged in Tihar jail number 3, claimed that his client was not being produced in the lower court despite a direction.

ANOTHER CASE

• HC direction comes after a plea filed by one Jamal alias Ranjha contended that on September 13, inmates in Central Jail no-3 were brutally beaten by the prison staff and Tamil Nadu Special Police.