NHRC pulls up state on prisoners's behalf

The National Human Rights Commission has asked the Bihar government to ensure proper treatment of prisoners lodged in the central jail at Patna.

The NHRC received a complaint from a life convict lodged in the Beour central jail in Patna alleging that he was denied medical facilities by the authorities, sources said on Wednesday.

The prisoner claimed that despite a serious problem with his hearing, he was not being permitted treatment at the Patna Medical College Hospital.

The Commission had directed last September saying that the prisoner should be examined by an expert available in the PMCH within three weeks of the date of notice and that the superintendent of the jail should report compliance.

The sources said the report received from the superintendent of jails ''provides an extremely melancholy picture of the lack of care for a prisoner requiring treatment in a specialised hospital''.

The Commission observed ''it is indeed appalling that, in the first instance over a year went by before the prisoners could be taken to the PMCH and that, thereafter, more often than not, his visit to the hospital was denied for lack of an escort.''

Stating that the Commission was aware of the shortage of police personnel and the difficulties in providing escorts in the state, the NHRC said, ''However, there comes a point when it is necessary to observe that callousness of this magnitude is inexcusable, regardless of the difficulties.''

The Commission also said it was ''appalled'' at the casual manner in which the treatment of the prisoner had been handled. It has sought a report from the state chief secretary and the inspector-general (prisons) as to how exactly the prison authorities intended to ensure the treatment of the prisoner in future, assuming that he still needed such treatment.