KOCHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Kochi has directed the authorities at Viyyur High-Security Prison, where individuals accused in terrorism-related cases are detained, to keep the cells unlocked for three hours a day.
The order comes in response to a petition filed by Mohammed Azarudeen, the prime accused in the 2019 ISIS Coimbatore module case. Azarudeen had alleged that under-trial prisoners detained under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) were being kept in solitary confinement for 24 hours a day, which he argued violated Kerala Prison Rules.
Azarudeen claimed he had orally raised the issue with the jail superintendent but received no response. He described the conditions as inhumane and sought the court’s intervention to end the practice.
In response, the court instructed the jail authorities to submit a report. The superintendent’s report stated that individuals accused in terrorism cases were remanded by the Special Court and placed in High-Security Prisons under special departmental orders.
According to the report, the jail houses 225 inmates, including 13 linked to Maoist groups, 14 with suspected ties to the Popular Front of India (PFI), 19 accused in other NIA cases, and others detained under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities Prevention Act (KAAPA).
For security reasons, the prison has a policy of not allowing inmates to interact freely. Cells are unlocked in rotation from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm. Inmates can engage in recreational activities such as badminton and volleyball for one hour daily.
Films are shown on a rotation basis, and cultural programmes are organised twice a month. The report specifically denied the allegation that Azarudeen was kept locked up for 24 hours.
However, the court observed that being an inmate in a high-security facility does not justify the denial of basic rights afforded to prisoners in other jails.