NHRC Seeks Report On ‘Overcrowded’ Bhadrak Jail In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked Odisha’s director general of prisons to submit an action taken report on overcrowded and dilapidated Bhadrak jail in the state within four weeks.

According to reports, the commission issued a notice to the prison chief recently after hearing a petition filed by lawyer and human rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy in May.

Alleging that the jail is over-crowded, Tripathy has sought the commission’s intervention in the matter.

The commission will be constrained to invoke coercive process under Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, calling for a personal appearance of the authority concerned for submission of the report, in case the report is not received within the stipulated time, the rights panel said.

As per the petition, 12 prisoners are reportedly lodged at the jail’s female ward, which is designed for only two.

There is a proposal to construct a new jail building, but no action has been taken. Prisoners are forced to stay in the dilapidated building, the petitioner said.

In 2012, the then IG (prisons) while responding to a petition from Tripathy had reportedly assured that a new jail for Bhadrak district will be built at Amargadia at an estimated cost of Rs 12.2 crore. However, it is yet to materialise, Tripathy said.

The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) had asked the state in 2015 to take necessary steps in this regard, but no progress has been made, he said.

The commission has listed the case for further hearing on November 9.