Prisoners Are Not Chattels: Delhi HC
1. Constitutional Perspective: Prisoners Are Not Chattels
Article 21 of the Constitution of India guarantees the fundamental right to life and personal liberty. The Delhi High Court has emphasized that this right extends to prisoners, ensuring they are not reduced to mere property or chattels.
In the case of Sunil Batra v. Delhi Administration, the Court observed that prisoners are not denuded of all fundamental rights by mere reason of their conviction. The compulsion under the authority of law to live in a prison-house entails by its own force the deprivation of fundamental freedoms like the right to move freely throughout the territory of India or the right to practice a profession. However, the Constitution guarantees other freedoms like the right to acquire, hold and dispose of property, for the exercise of which incarceration can be no impediment.
2. Human Dignity and Rehabilitation
The Court has consistently held that prisoners retain their human dignity and rights. In Francis Coralie Mullin v. The Administrator, Union Territory of Delhi, it was stated that the right to live with human dignity enshrined in Article 21 includes the right to live without torture or cruelty, and this right does not end at the prison gate.
The Delhi Prisons Act, 2000, and the Delhi Prisons Rules, 2018, emphasize the rehabilitation and welfare of prisoners, recognizing them as individuals capable of reform and deserving of humane treatment.
3. Parole and Furlough: Not Mere Privileges
The Delhi High Court has reiterated that parole and furlough are not mere privileges but are rights that facilitate the social reintegration of prisoners. In a recent case, the Court remarked that merely because a prisoner is confined to jail, it does not reduce his status to that of a chattel bereft of any basic fundamental human rights.
The Court directed jail authorities to handle parole requests with sensitivity, ensuring that decisions are not arbitrary and are in line with constitutional mandates.
4. Compensation for Work-Related Injuries
In a landmark judgment, the Delhi High Court held that prisoners have the fundamental right to receive compensation for work-related injuries suffered in jail. The Court emphasized that the injury and disability suffered by a prisoner cannot be assessed to be lesser in pain and suffering compared to a free citizen. Pain from an injury cannot be different for a convict and a free citizen.
The Court's decision underscores the principle that prisoners are entitled to the same rights and protections as other citizens, including the right to compensation for injuries.
5. Conclusion
The Delhi High Court has consistently upheld the principle that prisoners are not chattels but individuals with inherent dignity and rights. Through various judgments, the Court has reinforced the constitutional guarantees afforded to prisoners, ensuring their humane treatment and rehabilitation. These decisions serve as a reminder that the justice system must treat all individuals, regardless of their status, with respect and fairness.
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