The Supreme Court is set to deliver its verdict on Thursday regarding a plea that alleges certain state prison manuals promote caste-based discrimination.
According to the cause list for October 3, available on the Supreme Court’s website, a bench consisting of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra will announce the judgment on this petition.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court had sought responses from the Centre and 11 states, including Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, regarding the allegations. The court noted the petitioner’s counsel’s claims that these state manuals discriminate in work allocation within prisons and that an inmate’s caste affects their housing arrangements.
The plea specifically cited the Kerala Prison Rules, which distinguish between habitual and re-convicted offenders, suggesting that habitual criminals, such as robbers or thieves, should be classified and separated from other inmates. It also pointed out that the West Bengal Jail Code assigns work based on caste, stating that cooking responsibilities are assigned to dominant castes, while sweeping tasks are given to individuals from specific castes.
In response to the plea filed by Sukanya Shantha, a resident of Kalyan in Maharashtra, the Supreme Court had issued notices to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and other relevant parties. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta was asked to assist the court in addressing the issues raised in the petition.
The bench had taken note of the petitioner’s claims that, despite amendments to state prison manuals in line with the model manuals developed by the Union Home Ministry, caste discrimination continues to be reinforced in state prisons.
“This petition is filed in public interest under Article 32 of the Constitution of India to highlight the ongoing enforcement of rules and practices in various state prison manuals that are clearly grounded in and perpetuate caste-based discrimination,” the plea stated. It seeks appropriate directions to align these manuals and prison practices with constitutional principles.
