SC fumes after death row convicts found intoxicated in Tihar Jail

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 2

The Supreme Court has sought an affidavit from Tihar Jail Superintendent on CCTV cameras installed on the prison campus after three death row convicts found to be intoxicated last month leading to use of force by the police.

“The affidavit shall disclose where exactly the CCTV cameras have been installed and whether the Control Room and the boundary wall of the jail are covered by CCTV cameras or not. It shall also disclose under what circumstances, materials, such as, tobacco pouches or any other contraband/such things find their way inside the jail premises and what kind of preventive and other measures are being taken by the jail authorities,” A Bench headed by Justice UU Lalit said.

Asking the Jail Superintendent to file the affidavit by April 5, the Bench posted the matter for further hearing on April 8.

The order was passed on March 25 after receipt of a report by a subordinate court judge that accused Rahul – one of the three death row convicts in this case—was unable to walk properly.

The Bench was surprised to note that the Jail Superintendent was asked to get accused Rahul medically examined and to furnish certificate but no such documents pertaining to his medical examination were placed on record.

Though CCTV was installed near the medical dispensary, the life of the CCTV footage was only four days, it was told.

A Bench headed by Justice Rohinton F Nariman had recently ordered installation of CCTV cameras at various places in the jail but in this case no CCTV footage was available, it noted.

The Bench said the affidavit to be filed by the Jail Superintendent “shall also disclose the make of CCTV camera which have been installed which according to Raj Kumar does not have life greater than four days for CCTV footage; so also about the time lines adhered to and required for installing CCTV cameras and the budgetary allocation made for such installations.”