Bhopal: Notice issued to the chief secretary and IGP (prisons) for prioners’ rights violation and inhuman behaviour

BHOPAL: The National Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognizance of health status of SIMI prisoners and issued notice to the state government on Monday to present its medical treatment records within four weeks before the Commission.

The Commission issued has notice to chief secretary and IGP (prisons) for violation of prioners’ rights and inhuman behavior in the state. Six members of banned students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) had begun a hunger strike inside central jail here a week back. They have been shifted to jail hospital. The prisoners who were found guilty of sedition, collecting arms and waging war against the government have been sentenced for life imprisonment in 2017 and 2018 by different courts including the NIA and CBI special courts.

The prisoners have the right to Food and Dignity, which is the basic human right that the state government cannot deny to inmates who are in its lawful custody. A section of the press had revealed that all of them demanded better food, exemption from regular frisking and freedom from high security block. 

The jail superintendent, as mentioned in the news report, has stated SIMI prisoners are not allowed to come out of special cell as they raise anti-national slogans and disrespect Constitution. This leads to tension amongst other inmates of the jail. 

The Commission mentioned that amid spread of Covid-19 there had been significant increase in the case of coronavirus among inmates lodged in the jails in the country. It is necessary that the prisoners are provided proper food so that their immunity level remains satisfactory, which is necessary as per guidelines issued by WHO and ICMR.