VELLORE: After three years, the doors of the mosque on the Vellore Central Prison compound have finally been opened to Muslim inmates. Yet, the high-security ward’s detainees have still not got permission to enter the mosque.
According to sources, the prison officials at Vellore have recently granted approval for Muslim inmates to carry out prayer rituals in the mosque situated in the prison’s sixth block. They said on Fridays, a select group of approximately 20 out of 50 Muslim inmates from ordinary cell blocks have been granted access to the mosque.
Furthermore, collective prayers are not permitted in the prison for Muslim inmates. Only a maximum of two individuals are allowed to pray during designated times. Before the report was published in TNIE, the mosque remained locked and was inadequately maintained.
The development follows TNIE’s report last month that highlighted the unavailability of the Vellore jail mosque for Muslim inmates. The issue gained the attention of AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, who issued a statement expressing concerns for the Muslim detainees.
Subsequently, the Tamil Nadu Prison Department refuted allegations of restricting mosque access for Muslim inmates at the jail. According to the department, inmates are indeed allowed to worship inside the mosque, with the sole restriction being related to group prayers. Nonetheless, TNIE’s report emphasised that individual inmates have faced difficulties in accessing the mosque over the past three years.