Court Notice to Delhi Government on Reports of Sexual Violence in Tihar Prison

New Delhi:

The NHRC has notified the Delhi government and the Director-General of Prisons of reports that an inmate has been sexually assaulted by fellow inmates at Tihar Jail, officials said on Monday.

The National Human Rights Commission has also decided to send its own team for an on-site investigation into the matter, they said.

The NHRC has taken note suo motu of media reports dated Dec. 30 that a 22-year-old inmate was allegedly sexually assaulted by fellow inmates at Tihar Prison, the rights panel said in a statement.

The detainee is reportedly under medical treatment, it said.

The content of the media reports, if true, amounts to a violation of the victim’s right to life and dignity, the NHRC said.

According to communications to the Delhi Chief Secretary and the Director General of Prisons, the commission has requested a detailed report on this matter within four weeks.

The report should include the current state of health of the victim, the measures taken against the erring officers and the accused detainees, as well as the measures taken and proposed to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future, the statement said.

The NHRC said it has issued various guidelines, advice and recommendations in the past to improve many aspects of prison management, but it appears there has been no discernible change in the living conditions of the prisoners at Tihar prison since, intermittently , incidents of various kinds of their human rights violations, including harassment, torture and sexual abuse, are reported and complained about”.

“The state, which is the custodian of the prisoners in the prisons, is responsible for their safety and security, as they also have the right to human rights, including the right to dignity guaranteed by the constitution,” it said.

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