Defence likely to bring up ‘poor’ condition of Indian jails again
LONDON: Conditions in Indian jails where inmates allegedly face “torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” is one of the key defence issues in the potential extradition of controversial businessman Vijay Mallya and may likely be brought up again when the case returns in court on Monday.
The issue figured in previous unsuccessful cases, most recently on October 16, when the Westminster Magistrates Court (the same court hearing Mallya’s case) ruled against the extradition of Sanjeev Kumar Chawla, wanted in India for his role in cricket match-fixing.
India has filed an appeal in the high court in the Chawla case with material on conditions in the Tihar Jail in Delhi, stating that the judge did not take into account documents of the Union ministry of home affairs related to the jail before arriving at the judgement.
In Mallya’s case (number1700934281), the Indian government has assured the court through the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that he will not face any threat to life if extradited and lodged in barrack number 12 of the Arthur Road jail in Mumbai. Detailed material has been submitted on conditions in the jail.
Earlier, the Union external affairs ministry had sought information from the ministry of home affairs on the facilities in Indian prisons against the backdrop of Mallya’s defence counsels’ argument.
“The ministry of home affairs stance will be that the prison facilities in India are as good as any other place in the world. A prisoner’s legal rights are protected here, they are given accesses to medical facilities and their safety and security is protected by the authorities,” a senior home ministry official had told Hindustan Times.
Monday’s hearing at 10am (UK time)is likely to be the last ‘case management hearing’ before the full extradition case opens on December 4.