Centre must frame rules for handling foreign prisoners: Madras High Court

Egwim Kingstley, a Nigerian national imprisoned at Puzhal Central Prison-II, filed a petition stating that 75 foreign nationals have been denied audio/video call facilities to contact family since Dec 1, 2024.
Madras High Court
Madras High Court (File Photo| EPS)
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CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has stressed the need for framing appropriate rules for handling foreigners lodged in the prisons of the state in order to protect their rights and suo motu impleaded the secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a case filed by a Nigerian national imprisoned at the Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai.

A division bench of justices S M Subramaniam and M Jothiraman on Monday said rules have already been framed and implemented for governing Indian nationals in prisons but there are no such rules as far as foreigners are concerned. So, there is a need for framing similar rules for handling foreign nationals in the prisons, they said.

Issuing the direction to implead the secretary of MHA in the case, the bench asked the official to file a report in the court as to whether any such rules are in force in other states.

Subsequently, the bench adjourned the matter by a week.

The petition was filed by Egwim Kingstley, a Nigerian national, currently imprisoned at the Puzhal Central Prison-II. He stated that 75 foreign nationals are currently imprisoned in the prison and they have been denied the audio/video call facility to contact their family members since December 1, 2024.

A new system has been introduced in the prison for contacting inmates’ family members, however, foreign nationals are deprived of the opportunity as they are unable to pay the call costs through bank accounts, and the authorities concerned are refusing to deduct the costs from the prisoners’ cash property accounts, he said.

Furthermore, the petitioner alleged that only five of the 75 foreign nationals were allowed to avail the E-Mulakat system to contact their relatives.

Alleging that prison authorities were also indiscriminately beating up some of the foreign nationals for no reason and putting them in solitary confinement, he sought the court to issue a direction to the respondent authorities to provide them communication facilities and inquire into highhandedness of the prison authorities.

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