TN prison deaths: HC grants two more months for remedial steps

The Madras High Court today granted two more months' time to the Tamil Nadu government to take a decision on various remedial measures, including payment of compensation to families of 66 deceased convicts and remand prisoners from 2012 to 2015, which is pending with it.
The court, which went through the report filed by the Member Secretary, Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority (TNSLA) put the query to the government pleader, when the case came up.
The matter relates to a PIL filed by one Kesavan, an advocate, who is also the Joint Secretary of the Centre for Protection of Civil Liberties.

TNSLA said cases of 40 deaths of remand prisoners were dealt with by the Public Department, while that of the deaths of 26 convict prisoners were dealt with by the Home Department.
After going through it, the court asked the government pleader how much time is required to take a decision on the remedial measures, for which he said two more months' time was needed.
The court granted it and posted the matter to December 9.

The petitioner had sought a judicial inquiry into prison deaths and interim compensation of Rs five lakh each, claiming that more than 1,000 prisoners had died of various reasons in 13 years from year 2000.

He had also sought a direction to the Secretary, Home Department and DGP, Prisons, to consider his October 3, 2013 representation, praying for various remedial measures to provide medical facilities to prisoners to prevent unnatural deaths.
On July 29, the government had informed the court that out of 264 deaths that occurred in prisons across the state between 2012 and 2015, compensation was given only in three cases.
The Home Department had stated that the death of prisoners has been informed to the local police, judicial magistrates, district collectors, government, SHRC and NHRC.
It had said the total number of deaths of remand prisoners dealt with by the Public Department from 2012 to 2015, was 137. The total number of convicts whose deaths were dealt with by the state Home Department from 2012 to 2015, was 127 and the inquiry reports in 99 deaths were yet to be received.