Madras HC orders inquiry into allegation of prison staff being used for personal work of higher officials

Madras High Court. File
| Photo Credit: K. Pichumani

The Madras High Court has directed the Home Secretary to conduct an inquiry with respect to the allegation of prison staff being used for personal work of the higher officials in most of the prisons in the State and ensure that the former perform only prison duties.

A Division Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and M. Jothiraman said, the inquiry regarding the allegations levelled by a writ petitioner could be conducted with the assistance of the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department or through the intelligence wing.

If the allegations levelled by the petitioner Sujatha were found to be true, the Home Secretary must issued orders withdrawing all the uniformed personnel from the residences of the higher officials in the prison department and deploy them only for prison work.

“The said exercise is to be done by the first respondent (Home Secretary) within a period of three weeks from today. List the matter on November 29, 2024 for filing of status report before this court,” the Division Bench said in the interim order passed on the writ petition.

The petitioner’s counsel M. Radhakrishnan and P. Pugalendhi told the court that as many as 60 prisoners had been lodged in every cell at the Puzhal Central Prison though only 20 prisoners must be lodged in each cell as per the rules governing the administration of prisons.

They said the 60 prisoners had to use the same toilet leading to unhygienic conditions. The counsel also complained about only 15 prison warders being deployed in a shift at the central prison though there should be 60 warders in every shift in order to keep a watch over the inmates.

They also alleged most of the prison warders get deployed at the residences of the higher officials for performing their personal work.