HC orders medical treatment for undertrial

Madras High Court today directed authorities to provide medical treatment to an undertrial, who has been kept in a separate prison bloc after he allegedly misbehaved with other inmates.
Closing a habeas corpus petition by the undertrial's mother, Justice S Rajeswaran and Justice P N Prakash directed that Mustafa, who allegedly fell ill while under judicial custody, be given treatment in the prison hospital.
Mustafa's mother had submitted in her petition that her son was being kept in solitary confinement and she was not allowed to meet him. She came to know that he had taken ill.
Alleging that her son was kept under solitary confinement without any sanction of law from September 16, she sought a direction to officials to produce him in the court and arrange for medical examination.

Denying her charge of solitary confinement, the Additional Public Prosecutor submitted that the detenue had misbehaved with the other inmates following which he had to be shifted from one block to another.
Further when he was produced in a magistrate court on September 16 last, he broke the window panes in the court and tried to snatch the rifle from a woman constable.
Because of his conduct both inside and outside the prison, Mustafa had been kept in a separate block and not in solitary confinement.
The Judges also said if medical treatment had already been given, the same could be continued since it was reported he was suffering from some illness and said no further orders were necessary.