Maliwal seeks permission to stay in Tihar for 3 days

Acting on the complaint of alleged harassment and malpractices by the jail officials in Tihar, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal has written to Director General Tihar Prison, Sudhir Yadav.

In the formal letter, Maliwal has asked Yadav to provide her and her team from DCW the permission to spend three days and nights inside the prison complex.

The DCW Chairperson explained that they wanted to spend adequate time inside the prison complex so that their team can understand the conditions prevailing inside the prison and help resolve the troubles faced by inmates.

Maliwal cited the constitutional Act of 1994 that mandates the Commission to inspect and investigate the prison complexes, remand homes and other places of custody where women are kept as prisoners in matter relating to safety of women.

“It has been brought to the notice of the Delhi Commission FOR Women (DCW) that Tihar Jail continues to remain overcrowded. Even the Honourable High Court of Delhi has recognised many under-trials in the jail have spent more than half of their possible sentences waiting for their trail to commence. It has also been been brought to our notice that children of many women inmates are also living in Tihar jail with their jails,” Maliwal wrote.

“In order to understand the problems faced by these women and their children as well as assess the facilities provided to them in the jail, the commission wishes to interact with the women living in Tihar jail,” Maliwal added.

The DCW Chairperson asked the jail authorities to not provide any special arrangements during the stay of DCW inside the prison complex.

Maliwal also expressed the willingness to provide a written undertaking from the DCW on any security concerns during their stay inside the prison complex. 

Maliwal later tweeted, “Court often points to poor condition of jails. Wrote to DG Tihar. I will stay in Tihar Jail barrack for three days n nights to help resolve inmates issues.”