New jail manual brought into force for uniformity of laws, AAP govt informs HC

The AAP government Thursday told the Delhi High Court that a new jail manual has been framed and brought into force to bring in basic uniformity in rules and regulations governing the administration of prisons and management of prisoners.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao were informed by Delhi government standing counsel Rahul Mehra that the new jail manual -- Delhi Prisons Rules, 2018, has been notified and came into effect from January 1, 2019 and it would followed by the authorities.

He added that most of the issues raised in various pleas before the high court have been addressed in the manual.

The bench asked the advocates, associated with the matter, to go through the new manual and inform it if they have any issue and listed it for further hearing in April.

The Delhi government had earlier told the court that the new manual for jails here -- including Tihar, Rohini and Mandoli -- would completely change the existing one, as they were also going to re-visit the parole and furlough guidelines.

The court was hearing a batch of PILs highlighting violation of human rights and poor condition of inmates, besides excluding female prisoners from the semi-open and open prisons.

The PILs have also claimed poor medical facilities to the prisoners.

An order restricting lawyers from meeting their undertrial clients in Tihar to once a week has also been challenged in the high court.