Now Women Inmates In Tihar Jail Can Get Open Access Facility

Very few would know what goes behind the bars in Delhi's infamous Tihar jail. What seems like regular from outside is far from that in reality. An outsider would believe that everyone in jail gets equal treatment and distribution of work. But is it so?

In reality, women prisoners were actually fighting their own battle. Till now, they were excluded from semi or open prison facilities and no rulebook gave any justification for it

Thankfully after being called out for "gender discrimination", the Arvind Kejriwal government has now given equal space to both women and men. They have been assured of semi-open and open prison facilities at the Tihar jail.

When in 2011 and 2014, the government had introduced semi-open and open jail facilities in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, only male prisoners were eligible for it. These facilities are available to only those with a record of ‘good conduct’ for at least 12 years or undergoing life imprisonment.

READ: Tihar Men’s Jail Gets Its First Woman Superintendent

According to India Today, these confinement cells for prisoners are open to work on the jail premises from 8am to 8pm. Then prisoners would return to the jail at night. Rules are more relaxed in some cases as they are also allowed to stay in a flat instead of cells.

So far, women prisoners were excluded from this facility. Sunil Gupta, a retired legal advisor, had filed a petition in Delhi High Court requesting semi open and open prison access for women inmates.

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"It is most respectfully submitted that the respondent (government) is in complete agreement with the petitioner regarding the issues raised by him in the present petition," said an affidavit filed by Delhi government standing counsel Rahul Mehra.

"Why are you denying this to women prisoners? This is very bad. What you are doing is a stereotypical approach. People should have option, why should you discriminate," the judges had asked the Delhi government on September 4

Finally, Sunil Gupta’s hard work has paid off. The government recently declared in Delhi HC that semi-open and open prison facilities would be extended to women inmates too.

READ: ‘Police Didi’ initiative should teach more girls about the law: Trisha Shetty

After accepting the affidavit, a bench headed by acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal noted in the order recently: “The government undertakes to remove any gender-based classification at the time of carrying out amendments which are proposed to be made in the rules/guideline with regard to the thresholds a convict needs to meet in order to gain eligibility in semi-open prison/open prison and accordingly treat all the prisoners at par irrespective of their gender.”

Also Read: Meet Bhavani Banu, the 13-yr-old Police Chief

Feature Image Credit: Alarabiya

Read More Stories By Ria Das