New Delhi, Apr 17: The Delhi High Court today asked the city government about the steps taken by it to improve security in Tihar Jail after a judicial panel submitted its report saying that jail inmates often smuggle blades inside their cells by hiding them inside their mouth.
A group of sessions judges in January had submitted a report pursuant to the court's earlier order on security in the jail and said that blade attacks and stabbings take place not just inside the prison but also in vans in which the inmates are transported to the court.
A division bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Jayant Nath asked the counsel for Delhi Government to inform it about the steps taken in view of the judicial panel's report on the next date of hearing on May 22.
The bench also sought to know as to whether the government has set up Board of Visitors, to look into the jail conditions for inmates, as per the prison manual.
The court had ordered the survey in November last year following allegations of severe law and order crisis and torture of inmates in a PIL filed by NGO Multi Action Research Group.
Referring to nine inmates' complaints of torture and severe beating by Tihar officials, the NGO had demanded a judicial probe.