High court summons details about terminally ill Tihar inmates

The plight of terminally-ill Tihar jail inmates, suffering from life-threatening ailments like cancer, has caught the attention of the Delhi High Court, reports HT Correspondent.

The plight of terminally-ill Tihar jail inmates, suffering from life-threatening ailments like cancer, has caught the attention of the Delhi High Court.

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On Monday, the court summoned records of 16 such patients, along with all others like them, and wanted sought information from the jail superintendent on medical facilities extended to them.

Justice Pradeep Nandrajog had taken suo motu cognizance of the issue after a visit to the jail on Saturday. Issuing notice to the jail superintendent , the court asked them to file the status report by February 18.

Seeking the medical record of 16 such patients, the court also directed the jail authorities to provide names of all other terminally ill inmates in jail and to specify whether they were undertrials or convicts.

"From the 12 medical records, it was but evident that the said 16 terminally ill patients had no more than 2-6 months to live. These patients require special medical attention, which was not available in the jail hospital," observed the judge.

The court also sought details of the cases against the terminally ill inmates in jail.

"A responsible officer from the jail along with the medical record of the said terminally-ill patient be deputed in the court," the court said.

Referring the matter for initiation of a criminal contempt against the jail officials, Justice Nandrajog sent the matter to the High Court Chief Justice to deal with the matter as Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and posted the matter for further hearing on February 18.