NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will decide whether a prisoner who is performing soft labour in a jail would be entitled to wages on par with other inmates doing hard labour.
A Bench, comprising Justice P Sathasivam and Justice J Chelameshwar, issued notices in this regard to the Tihar Jail Superintendent on a petition filed by an ex-convict Phool Kumari.
The Bench directed Jail Superintendent to file reply within four weeks.
Kumari was sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment in a criminal case and has remained in the Tihar jail from March 24, 2007, to December 23, 2010, after availing remission.
Kumari was assigned the work of assisting doctors in the OPD in jail number six and was also given the task of cleaning the medical inspection room.
Soon after her release, her husband Jatan Singh filed a petition before Additional Sessions Judge Madhu Jain, averring that her wages be released. However, this was rejected by the magistrate.
In his affidavit, the DIG (Prisons) stated before the Magistrate that Kumari was not entitled to any wages as she did not agree to do any hard labour.