High Court Seeks Delhi Govt's Response On PIL Seeking Clean Drinking Water, Proper Sanitary Conditions In Tihar Jail

The Delhi High Court on Monday sought Delhi government's response to a public interest litigation seeking clean drinking water and proper sanitary conditions in Tihar Jail.

A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad issued notice in a plea moved by Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee stating that depriving basic amenities to the jail inmates is an outright violation of the Delhi Prison Rules and Model Jail Manual.

The court granted six weeks time to the Delhi Government for filing its response, while posting the matter for hearing next on April 14, 2023.

In the plea moved through Advocate Amit George, it has been submitted that the hygiene issues were brought to the attention of Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee by a prisoner, which resulted in an inspection conducted by one of its panel counsel in the jail premises.

The plea adds that the panel counsel inspection found that adequate and clean drinking water was not being made available in the premises of the Tihar jail.

Furthermore, it was also noted that the conditions of the washrooms and toilets are very poor as the same are broken and need repair. The report also said that the living conditions in the jail are poor "as there was a manhole in the premises which was filled with stagnant water which had begun to spill out of it."

The plea thus states that the panel counsel had suggested that a plea could be filed seeking redressal of grievances regarding access to safe and clean drinking water as also for ensuring an overall hygienic environment in the jail premises.

"…depriving the inmates of Tihar Jail of basic amenities such as access to clean and adequate drinking water, sanitation, an overall hygienic environment and clean and private washrooms/toilets, is in outright violation of the Delhi Prison Rules as also the Model Jail Manual. Such deprivation is also in contravention to the accepted international rules and guidelines for prisoners," the plea reads.

Title: Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee v. Govt. of NCT of Delhi