Rs 15cr collected from Tihar prisoners for victim welfare unutilised: HC told

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The Delhi High Court was today told that over Rs 15 crore collected since 2006 from wages of convicts lodged in Tihar Jail for welfare of their victims has been lying unutilised.

The submission was made before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar by the prison authorities during hearing of a PIL challenging the practice of deducting 25 per cent of the convicts' wages towards a victim welfare fund.

The Director General of Prisons in an affidavit has said there is no need to withdraw the victim compensation scheme being operated by it as similar schemes of the Centre and Delhi government were meant to supplement each other and not replace one another.

The prison has also said that till date it has held 12 meetings and approximately Rs 80.73 lakh has been disbursed to 194 eligible victims.

It has opposed the PIL which has sought quashing of an August 2006 notification and the Delhi Prison Rules of 1988 which mandate deduction of wages of prisoners.

The court listed the matter for further hearing on September 12.