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Probe ordered into assault claim by 17 Tamil Nadu recaptured inmates
A week after 17 undertrial prisoners escaped from a sub jail in Theni district of Tamil Nadu and were subsequently caught and brought back to custody by the police, the state legal services authority on Monday ordered an investigation into allegations of torture, assault and intimidation involving the 17 inmates
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A week after 17 undertrial prisoners escaped from a sub jail in Theni district of Tamil Nadu and were subsequently caught and brought back to custody by the police, the state legal services authority on Monday ordered an investigation into allegations of torture, assault and intimidation involving the 17 inmates. It will also be ascertained whether prison officials prevented them from raising complaints to the jail authorities.
The Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority (TNSLSA) gave directions to the District Legal Services Authorities (DLSA) in five districts across the state.
Justice SM Subramaniam, a sitting judge of the Madras High Court and the executive chairman of TNSLSA also instructed the chairperson of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Theni, to visit the district jail and enquire into allegations that the prisoners were denied proper food and drinking water and subjected to other forms of ill-treatment before their escape.
The judge directed DLSA chairpersons in Cuddalore, Madurai, Salem and Tirunelveli to visit the central prison where the 17 prisoners are currently lodged following their arrest on October 27, and interact with them “individually”, and without any prison officials present.
“If the prisoners report having been assaulted, the officials must record the alleged perpetrators’ names, the dates and places of the incidents, the nature of the assault and the names of any witnesses,” the TNSLSA said, adding that they must also ascertain whether the prisoners were threatened, coerced or prevented from making complaints.
Justice Subramaniam further asked the DLSA chairpersons to help the prisoners approach the legal aid clinics operating inside the prisons to access legal assistance. They must also document “any other violations of fundamental rights or prison rules noticed during their visits,” it said.
The judge said all the five DLSA chairpersons must submit their respective reports to TNSLSA by November 16.
The directions follow the escape of 17 remand prisoners from the Thekkampatti sub-jail near Andipatti in Theni district around 11 pm on October 26. The escape triggered an extensive search operation involving multiple Tamil Nadu police teams.
On October 27, police deployed three high-definition drones after suspecting that the escapees had taken refuge in the adjoining forest. Five Special Task Force (STF) teams and four Tamil Nadu Special Police teams were pressed into service. Eight prisoners were apprehended before sunset, taking the total number of arrests to 13 by the end of the day. Investigators said the prisoners had taken shelter in the forest and planned to emerge during daylight. The remaining four were arrested the following day at two locations.
Most of the prisoners were aged between 20 and 25 and faced allegations involving theft, ganja possession and property-related offences. They belong to different districts, including Theni, Madurai, Salem, Kanniyakumari and Dindigul.
