Madras High Court Seeks State's Response On Plea Against Appointment Of Male Superintendent In Female Prisons

The bench of Chief Justice KR Shriram and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy issued notice on a petition filed by Advocate and Director of Prisoners Rights Forum, P Pugalenthi.

Pugalenthi had argued that since special prisons for women were manned by Male Supervisors, the women prisoners were not in a position to explain their grievances and get them redressed. He pointed out that this causes immeasurable mental agony to the woman prisoners.

Pugalenthi further submitted that in 2009, a temporary post of Deputy Inspector General of Prisons (Women Prisoners) was created by the State through a Government Order, and ad-hoc rules were notified for filing in the post. He added that the object of the ad-hoc rules was to ensure that the special prisons were supervised and controlled by a woman Superintendent and that there should be a woman Deputy Inspector General of Prisons at the head.

Pugalenthi however pointed out that the post had remained vacant for more than 10 years and no steps have been taken by the State to implement the ad-hoc rules.

Pugalenthi also submitted when he had filed an RTI application in this regard, he was informed that no male members could be appointed as Superintendents of Women's Prisons. However, in reality, four women's prisons in Tamil Nadu at Vellore, Coimbatore, Salem, and Madurai were being supervised and controlled by male Superintendent of Prison.

Thus, he had filed the writ petition, seeking directions to the State to implement the Government Order and to fill the vacancies in the post of Superintendent of Prison (Women Prisoners) in all Special Prisons for Women in Tamil Nadu and to prevent the appointment of male superintendent to these prisons.

Case Title: P Pugalenthi v State of Tamil Nadu

Case No: WP No. 31223 of 2024