HC seeks a status report from prison authority on security of eyewitnesses
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Director General of Prisons to file a status report with regard to the safety and security of eyewitnesses in the Ankit Gujjar custodial death case and ordered that all the witnesses or inmates are to be kept inside an area inside the jail that will strictly be monitored by a fully functional CCTV.
In her order, Justice Mukta Gupta stated that appropriate directions should be issued for ensuring the security of the eyewitnesses in the case who have approached the court for protection. The court further directed the Director General(Prisons) to file a status report indicating the measures being taken to ensure the safety and security of all the inmates currently in custody along with the two who will be surrendering on September 24, after the expiry of their interim bail.
"Following Gujjar's death, a plea was filed before this Court seeking a transfer of investigation in this case. Now, pressure is being mounted on the eyewitnesses to change their stance," the order read.
The plea was filed by five eyewitnesses in the case, represented by Advocate Mehmood Pracha, who stated that they were being pressured to change their stance. Out of these eyewitnesses, all of whom were inmates of the prison, two were granted parole on the evening of the incident and are out on interim bail.
Justice Gupta further ordered that while three of the petitioners will be in custody, the two other inmates out on parole shall surrender on September 24. "All inmates are to be kept inside an area that will be strictly monitored by a fully functional CCTV. Status report to be filed as well," the order further stated.
Earlier the High Court had transferred the probe into the case from the Delhi Police to CBI after noting that Ankit was "brutally beaten" and "left unattended" by jail officials and doctors. The court had further observed that not only did Deputy Superintendent Narender Meena assault the deceased mercilessly, the jail doctor on duty also failed to perform his duty when he examined Ankit and 1 am in the night and administered injection, as he neither informed the senior officers of Ankit's condition nor referred him to a hospital.
Further the court in its order has said that the "walls of prison, howsoever high they may be, the foundation of a prison is laid on the Rule of Law ensuring the rights to its inmates enshrined in the Constitution of India".
The court also said that the case called for immediate remedial actions by the State and Director General of Prisons so that "unscrupulous officers at the Jail do not take advantage of knowledge of the non-working of the CCTVs so that they can get away by doing any illegal act/offences".
