The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice and sought a detailed reply from the Director General of Prisons on the alleged overcrowding and precarious living condition of Bhadrak Jail.
Acting on a petition filed by a Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist, Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC sought Action Taken Reports (ATR) on the matter within four weeks.
“The Bhadrak jail is overcrowded with the female ward having a capacity of two prisoners housing 12 inmates. There is a proposal for the construction of a new jail building but no action has been taken to construct the building and the prisoners are forced to languish in the old dilapidated building”, the petition moved by Tripathy alleged.
“The Commission shall be constrained to invoke coercive process u/s 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 calling for a personal appearance of the authority concerned for submission of the report, in case the report is not received within the stipulated time.” The apex rights panel warned while posting the matter for further hearing on 9 November.