High Court orders probe into torture claims at Tihar jail

Violation of fundamental, human and legal rights of prisoners, who have alleged they were subjected to severe physical torture at Tihar Jail, on Monday came under the Delhi High Court’s scanner as it ordered further enquiry into the matter. 

The inmates lodged in Tihar’s high-risk ward were mercilessly beaten and injured on the night of November 21 – with no provocation by the jail staff, says an inspection committee report. 

The body was formed after one of the injured inmates handed over a blood-soaked vest to his counsel that he had used to wipe his wounds – as evidence. 

Based on the petition from the counsel of the inmate, the Delhi High Court on November 23 formed the committee of judicial officers for an immediate inspection. 

The incident took place in wards C and F. CCTV footage of these wards show that there was no visible retaliation from the inmates and also that few were beaten selectively. 

The committee also found that the jail staff could not justify the violence against the inmates post a routine search. 

According to the findings, 18 inmates were injured and only one of them was taken to the hospital. 

Based on the committee’s report, the high court on Monday formed another fact-finding three-member committee to further probe the incident and directed jail authorities to take the inmates to AIIMS for medical examination in batches. 

The committee added that the incident has harboured into the inmates a fear of dying inside the jail. 

The footage that the CCTV at ward C recorded showed a closed main door with no inmates outside. TSP officials could suddenly be seen throwing three pillows out. 

According to the report, as an alarm rings at 9:21pm, followed by which, several TSP personnel can be seen entering the ward and beating inmates mercilessly using batons, buckets and lathis with no resistance from the prisoners. 

At 9:36pm they left the inmates bleeding and bruised. In the ward F, some prisoners were seen arguing with the in-charge of search operation. However, nothing was found in the footage that could justify the violence against the prisoners. 

According to the report, during the routine searches, the inmates had objected to the removal of the pillow covers. 

The routine search had begun around 8:30pm – supervised by the search operation head. After carrying out searches in C-9 ward the team locked the cell from outside. 

Fifteen minutes later, sounds were heard that suggested people were being beaten. The inmates told the committee that such an incident had occurred for the first time. 

They also informed that for the previous 15-20 days, under the current search operation in charge, staff had been very aggressive in their approach during the routine searches.

The committee found out that the QRT staff had entered their cell with lathis and even used buckets to beat them. Except for one inmate, who was hospitalised, none were even treated inside the jail, it’s claimed.

The jail authorities in their replies to judicial officers said that the inmates had abused the jail staff, tried to hinder the search operation, passed incendiary remark and created a mutiny-like situation. 

The committee has however, concluded that the reason put forth was baseless and that it was nothing but a blatant effort by the jail authority to conceal the facts.