‘Tillu murder unacceptable’: HC pulls up Tihar Jail authorities
The Delhi high court on Monday pulled up Tihar Jail authorities and flagged the prison’s “unacceptable state of affairs”, days after incarcerated gangster Tillu Tajpuria was stabbed to death by four inmates outside his cell in front of armed security personnel.
The single-judge bench of justice Jasmeet Singh asked how the inmates procured the weapon and questioned the alleged inaction of jail authorities, even as he ordered the director general of prisons to make a list of officials responsible for the lapses that led to the murder and sought a report within a week.
“What is happening? I am unable to get it. What’s happening here? How do you permit this? There’s a justice system, no? How does it happen under your watch?” justice Singh said. “This is totally an unacceptable state of affairs. The security of every prisoner is on the respondent (government)... why no steps were taken when the incident was happening,” the court observed.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Tajpuria’s family that sought a CBI probe into the gangster’s May 2 murder. Tajpuria was stabbed to death over 100 times by members of a criminal gang earlier run by his deceased
rival Jitender Gogi. Footage from CCTV cameras, which HT has seen, shows at least eight armed security personnel did little to stop the attack and stood helplessly in a ring around the ward’s courtyard.
The assailants used an iron bar that they ripped off a barricade and broken spoons as weapons to murder the Tajpuria.
Experts said the intricately planned murder underlined a series of significant security lapses in the country’s largest prison. Delhi Police have started investigating the killing and are looking to ascertain if
prison officials were involved in the murder.
On Monday, the High Court asked the authorities to explain how the prisoners got hold of the knives and said it was “unable to comprehend” why authorities took no action as the murder unfolded. “The affidavit shall also explain if the incident was captured on CCTV cameras..., why no preventive/remedial action was taken by the respondents,” the court said. “The affidavit shall indicate the responsibility and accountability of the jail officials responsible for the lapses.”