New manual being implemented in city jails, Delhi government tells HC

Rahul Mehra, standing counsel for the Delhi government, informed a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V Kameswar Rao that the new manual has been notified and was now being followed by the authorities.

The Delhi government on Thursday informed the Delhi high court that it had implemented the new jail manual in all the three prisons in the capital from January 1.

File photo of Tihar jail. The Delhi government told the Delhi HC that the new manual would address issues of prison reforms and bring basic uniformity in rules. (HT File Photo)

It said the new manual would address issues of prison reforms and bring basic uniformity in rules.

Rahul Mehra, standing counsel for the Delhi government, informed a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V Kameswar Rao that the new manual has been notified and was now being followed by the authorities.

The submissions were made by Mehra during the hearing of a bunch of pleas that highlighted human rights violations and conditions in the prison, including poor medical facilities.

Mehra told the court that all issues pertaining to human rights violation would change after the implementation of the new jail manual.

Following this, the court asked the amicus curiae to go through the manual and list out any issue that needed to be addressed.

Earlier, the Delhi government had informed the court that the new jail manual would address all issues, including open and semi open jails, furlough and parole guidelines.

The matter would be now heard in April 2019.