Proposal on conjugal visits in jail sent to Centre: Delhi govt to HC

The bench was hearing a public interest litigation by an advocate seeking directions to make conjugal visits a fundamental right

New DelhiThe Delhi government has told the Delhi high court that it would send a proposal to the ministry of home affairs (MHA) regarding the right of prisoners to seek conjugal visits.

Conjugal visits are scheduled visits wherein an inmate is allowed to spend time with their legal spouse in privacy. (Representational image/jtanki - Fotolia)

Conjugal visits are scheduled visits wherein an inmate is allowed to spend time with their legal spouse in privacy.

Taking note of the submissions, a bench of chief justice Satish Chandra Sharma and justice Sanjeev Narula granted the Delhi government six weeks and posted the matter for January 15, 2024.

The bench was hearing a public interest litigation by advocate Amit Sahni in 2019 seeking directions to the Delhi government and director general (prisons) to make conjugal visits a fundamental right. The PIL wanted the court to set aside the state’s prison rule that mandates the presence of a jail officer when a prisoner is meeting their spouse, irrespective of the fact that most prisoners were within the age group of 21-50.

The proposal was forwarded by the DG (prisons) to the state’s home department “after due consideration” of the right of prisoners seeking conjugal visits. DG (prisons) had filed an affidavit earlier in July 2019 stating that it was not practical to allow conjugal visits due to limited infrastructure.