SHRC Grants Pune Prison IG Two Weeks to Respond to Taloja Jail Frisking Concerns
The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has granted an additional two weeks to the Special Inspector General of Prisons, Pune, to file an affidavit addressing several issues raised during a visit to Taloja Central Prison.
The commission initiated suo motu cognisance following an inspection of the facility last year. The primary concerns involve the manner in which undertrial prisoners are searched, the adequacy and functioning of the prison's CCTV surveillance system, and the absence of clear criteria for appointing skilled persons to cook food for inmates.
A major issue highlighted by the commission is the practice of making prisoners remove their clothes during frisking. In its order, the SHRC noted that while the Prison Manual provides for a "thorough search" upon entering the facility, the term cannot be extended to justify stripping prisoners.
The practice of intrusive searches at the facility has previously been addressed in court. In 2023, a Special Judge under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) ruled that making undertrial prisoners nude during personal searches violates their fundamental right to privacy. The court's order followed a complaint from an undertrial prisoner who alleged he was forced to strip naked in front of staff and fellow inmates after returning from a court appearance. The court directed the Superintendent and search guards to deploy scanners or electronic devices and prohibited humiliating physical searches.
Former undertrial Abdul Wahid Shaikh, who was acquitted in 2015 in the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts case, also described undergoing humiliating entry searches. Shaikh stated that prisoners were forced to remove all clothing in front of officials, including women staff members, and questioned why modern scanning equipment was not used instead of physical stripping.
In addition to frisking protocols, the SHRC sought clarifications regarding the jail's CCTV coverage and questioned the lack of defined criteria in the Prison Manual or prison administration for selecting experienced inmates to perform cooking duties.
The response from the Special Inspector General of Prisons is expected to outline specific measures planned by authorities to address the issues raised during the commission's inspection.
