‘Caste-based discrimination’ in jails: SC verdict today

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce its verdict on Thursday on a plea which has alleged that prison manuals of some states in the country encourage caste-based discrimination.

According to the cause list of October 3 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and ManojMisra is slated to deliver the judgement on the petition.

The apex court had in January this year sought responses from the Centre and 11 states, including Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, on the plea. It had taken note of the submissions of the petitioner’s counsel that jail manuals of these states discriminate in the allocation of work inside their prisons and inmates’ caste determines the places where they are lodged.

The plea referred to the Kerala Prison Rules and said they lay down a distinction between a habitual and a re-convicted convict, holding that those who are by habit a robber, house breaker, dacoit or thief should be classified and separated from other convicts.

It claimed that the West Bengal Jail Code lays down that work in prison should be designated by caste, such as cooking work will be undertaken by dominant castes and sweeping work shall be undertaken by people from particular castes.