By IANS
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed the Delhi government and Tihar jail authorities to explain within two days how six prisoners died in the past one week, even as a warden's death due to dehydration took the toll to seven.
Adjourning hearing on a public litigation until June 18, a division bench of Justices J.P. Singh and S. Muralidhar asked the authorities to submit a detailed report on the reasons behind the deaths.
The judges observed that it seemed that that there was a lack of basic minimum amenities in the jail, which has more than 10,000 inmates – well above the permitted limit.
Shalek Chand Jain, a social worker, alleged in the public suit that deaths in Tihar – Asia's largest jail – had become routine.
"In the past one week, at least six people died due to excessive heat," said the petition filed by counsel Sugriv Dubey.
"Police atrocities are an open secret to the public and innocent people are nabbed under Sections 107 and 151 of the CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code) on false charges of causing breach of peace and sent to jail even though the offence is bailable. They are kept in judicial custody as police do not want to relent," alleged the petition.
Seeking judicial intervention to improve the conditions in jails, the petitioner also asked for a judicial inquiry into the deaths.
Man Singh, a Tihar jail warden, died of dehydration in the prison hospital Wednesday.
Jail authorities claim the deaths are due to the current heat wave that has seen temperatures in the capital soar to more than 44 degree Celsius.