Violence in Tihar, inmates not allowed video conference, says Pinjra Tod member in HC

New Delhi: A woman member of the Pinjra Tod group, who was arrested in a case related to the communal violence in North East Delhi, alleged on Wednesday in the Delhi High Court that there was a "large scale violence" inside Tihar Jail here on June 16 and inmates were prohibited from getting in touch with anyone, including via video conferencing, outside the prison. The submission was made before Justice C Hari Shankar by the lawyer appearing for Pinjra Tod group member Natasha Narwal, that there was a violence and some inmates' limbs were allegedly broken by the jail staff.

The lawyer said prisoners, including Narwal, were also intimidated by the jail staff.

During the hearing held on Wednesday morning through video conferencing, the allegation of not allowing inmates from getting in touch with persons outside jail through video conferencing, was vehemently denied by Delhi government standing counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra, who said according to instructions he received from the Director General of Prisons there was a connectivity issue, which was being resolved, and that is why video conferences could not be held.

However, Narwal's lawyer said that the person operating the video conference facility in the jail had informed him that due to violence in the prison, there was a lockdown.

The high court, thereafter, asked Mehra to file his status report which had to be filed by today (June 24) as per the earlier order and listed the matter for further hearing on June 29.

It also asked Mehra to look into the woman's grievance that the daily five minute call to family members, allowed to prisoners under the rules, was not being made available to her.