Chennai:
The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu Additional Director General of Police (prisons) to conduct a thorough probe into the alleged 'severe' assault of three under trial Nigerian nationals at Puzhal Central Prison by jail wardens on March 14.
"When prisoners have sustained injuries and when they have claimed the injuries had been caused due to custodial torture, authorities are bound to conduct an inquiry in a fair manner," a division bench comprising Justices K Mohan Ram and GM Akbar Ali said on Tuesday, while hearing a habeas corpus plea filed by an advocate and Director of Prisoners Rights Forum P Pugalenthi.
Stating that the inquiry was necessary in the light of the habeas corpus petition, a complaint made by some prisoners and also on the basis of the medical treatment records, the bench said that depending upon the findings the authorities should proceed further in accordance with law and disposed of the petition.
On March 16, the court had directed the jail authorities to have the three under trial Nigerian nationals Cyril (41), Dickson (29) and Michael (36) medically examined by a team of government doctors.
Pugalenthi said that when he had visited the prison on March 14 he had met the three under trials and was told that about 20 wardens had assaulted them. They showed him the injuries allegedly inflicted on them by the wardens and said they had been placed in solitary confinement.