PIL for conjugal visitation rights of prisoners: HC seeks AAP govt's reply

The Delhi High Court on Friday sought response of the AAP government and prison authorities here on a PIL seeking conjugal visitation rights for prisoners.

Terming the issue raised in the plea as "very interesting", a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Brijesh Sethi issued notice to the Delhi government and the Director General of Prisons seeking their stand on the petition by a lawyer.

Amit Sahni, a lawyer and a social activist, has claimed in his plea that conjugal visits in jail should be treated as a fundamental right of prisoners and their spouses.

Sahni, represented by senior advocate N Hariharan, has said in his petition that presently under the state's prison rule, meeting between an inmate and his or her spouse takes place in the presence of a prison officer.

He has sought setting aside of the rule.

He has further said that "despite courts taking a progressive approach and various countries allowing conjugal visits considering it an important human right and also in the light of studies backing conjugal visits as a factor to cut down crimes in jail and reform inmates, the Delhi Prison Rules, 2018 are totally silent on the issue."