Chennai: Madras high court on Tuesday directed the deans of govt medical college hospitals in Salem and Tirunelveli to constitute medical boards comprising three doctors each, to visit the central prisons in the districts to examine the health condition of four prisoners, who were part of the 17 inmates who escaped from the Theni prison.A division bench of Justice A D Jagadish Chandira and Justice B Karthikeyan passed the interim order on a plea moved by K Arumugathammal alleging that her sons Meenakshi Sundaram, Thirupathi and other remand prisoners Solai Mugileswaran and Sabarinathan were subjected to custodial assault and ill-treatment as a retaliation to their jail break.When the plea came up for hearing, the court was informed that The Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority (TNSLSA) has already passed an administrative order for an inquiry by its Theni district wing into the allegations whether torture by prison authorities had prompted the 17 prisoners to escape from the jail.
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Recording the same, the bench directed the deans of Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital, Salem, as well as the dean, Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, Tirunelveli, to constitute and depute respective medical boards which shall accompany the District Legal Services Authorities concerned during their prison visits, examine the prisoners, and provide requisite medical treatment wherever necessary.On Monday, TNSLSA chairman Justice S M Subramaniam has instructed the Theni district legal services authority to visit the prison and conduct an inquiry into the allegations of torture by not providing proper food and drinking water, and other ill treatment of the prisoners before their escape from the jail.The district chairman has also been instructed to ascertain whether the 17 prisoners were threatened, coerced or prevented from making complaints about the alleged torture by the prison authorities.Instructions have also been given to the district authorities of Cuddalore, Madurai, Salem and Tirunelveli to visit the respective central prisons where the 17 prisoners are currently lodged and conduct an inquiry in the absence of prison authorities about the alleged torture. The authorities have been instructed to file their reports on or before Nov 16.
