Shahabuddin not in solitary confinement but in high security cell: Tihar Jail to HC

Tihar Jail authorities have brushed aside in the Delhi High Court allegations by controversial RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin that he was being kept in solitary confinement and tortured, saying he was lodged in a high security cell with all the facilities given to any other inmate incarcerated there.

Taking note of the submission, a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and P S Teji asked the politician, who was transferred to Tihar Jail from Siwan Jail in Bihar on the Supreme Court's order, to move a representation before the prison authorities if he was aggrieved by the conditions in which he was lodged there.

The court asked the prison authorities to expeditiously decide the representation when it is moved and with the direction disposed of his plea that claimed he was being kept in solitary confinement and tortured in Tihar Jail.

In an affidavit, filed through Delhi government standing counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra, the prison authorities have contended that Shahabuddin's "allegation that he is being tortured in solitary confinement is totally baseless, false and figment of his imagination as he has not been lodged in solitary confinement".

"In fact the petitioner is lodged in a cell of a separate block of High Security Ward of Central Jail No 02, Tihar, New Delhi. All the basic amenities and facilities are provided to the petitioner as per provisions of Delhi Prison Rules 1998. It is pertinent to mention here that solitary confinement is used by the petitioner in wrong spirit, whereas he has been lodged in a cell with all such facilities as available to other High Security Prisoners," the affidavit also said.

It also stated that there were no restrictions on his day-to-day activities and he has been given canteen, library, telephone, cable TV as well as medical facilities.