Madras HC directs Centre to frame rules to ensure foreign prisoners' rights

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the Union government to formulate rules or schemes to ensure proper treatment of foreign prisoners confined in the jails here and also find avenues to establish technical facilities to allow the prisoners to communicate with their family members through video call.

A division bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice M Jothiraman heard a habeas corpus petition (HCP) seeking to direct the Puzhal prison authorities to provide proper medical treatment to a remand prisoner, Egwim Kingstley, a Nigerian citizen.

The bench observed that so many foreign prisoners around India are languishing inside various prisons, and no information about their confinement was passed to their family members. It added that these prisoners should be treated with the same rights that Indian prisoners are entitled to as they are also human beings; denying them rights makes them frustrated and furious.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) ARL Sundaresan appeared for the Home Ministry of the Union government and sought time to get instructions to formulate rules or schemes for foreign prisoners.

The bench also directed the ASG to get instructions from the External Affairs Ministry to provide video call facilities to allow the foreign prisoners to communicate with their family members through the embassy concerned.

Advocate S Nadhiya, appearing for the petitioner, said that the prison authority has not been providing breakfast to the foreign prisoners since December and sought direction to provide basic facilities.

After the submission, the bench directed the respondent to file a counter and posted the matter after two weeks.