Tihar’s high-security inmates want resumption of meetings with families

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the response of the Delhi government and Tihar jail authorities on a plea that said inmates of the high-security

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the response of the Delhi government and Tihar jail authorities on a plea that said inmates of the high-security wards are out of touch with the outside world as meetings, both legal and with family members, have been stopped due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan issued notice to the authorities on an application seeking an early hearing and posted the matter till July 30.

The plea, filed through advocates Aekta Vats and Harpreet Singh Hora, had said the high-security inmates are also not allowed to converse with their fellow inmates, because of which they are in a state of dejection, depression and solitude, which is affecting their mental health and psychological well-being.

The present application has been filed in a pending PIL filed by the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee in 2018, highlighting the plight of the such prisoners. It had sought directions seeking quashing of some standing orders issued against the interest of these inmates.

On Friday, appearing for the petitioner, advocate Maninder Singh told the court that the situation is appalling because the inmates have been denied access to television, radio, magazines and newspapers. He said the main petition should be decided as the mental health and psychological well-being of these inmates was in peril as the ‘mulaqat’, which was their only connection to the outside world, has been stopped for now.

“It is pertinent to mention that most of these prisoners do not qualify for interim bail ..,” the plea read.