The Department of Delhi Prisons has taken strict action and suspended four officials, including two assistant superintendents, a deputy superintendent, and a jail warden, in connection with the physical production of terror-funding case convict and Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik before the Supreme Court on Friday.
The surprise appearance of Malik in connection with another terror-related case left the judges puzzled, as there was no specific direction to bring him from Tihar Jail, where he is serving a life sentence. Director General (Prisons) Sanjay Beniwal attributed Malik’s in-person appearance to a lapse on the part of the jail officials concerned and immediately ordered an inquiry into the matter.
“In the matter of the physical production of Malik before the Supreme Court on Friday, the Prisons Department has suspended one deputy superintendent, two assistant superintendents, and one head warder Friday night as they were found to be prima facie responsible based on preliminary inquiry,” the statement issued by Tihar Jail said.
Deputy Inspector General (Prisons-Headquarters) Rajiv Singh will conduct the inquiry to determine the lapse and identify the responsible officials.
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Tihar suspends 4 over Yasin security lapse
He is required to submit a report to the Director General (Prisons) within three days.
“Further, a detailed inquiry is being conducted by DIG Tihar to identify any other officials who may also be responsible for the serious lapse,” the statement added.
The authorities clarified that they had clear-cut instructions to produce Malik through video conferencing only. However, he was unexpectedly produced in person before the court, which is a significant lapse on their part. The officials responsible for the error will face appropriate consequences, the authorities stated.
During the Friday court session, Malik walked into the courtroom escorted by armed security personnel without the court’s permission. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta expressed surprise at his presence and informed the bench of Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta that there is a specific procedure for high-risk convicts to be allowed into the courtroom to argue their case personally. The bench clarified that they had not granted Malik permission or passed any order allowing him to argue his case in person.
In response to the incident, Mehta wrote to Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, highlighting the “serious security lapse”. He raised concerns about a person with a terrorist and secessionist background like Malik, who is not only a convict in a terror funding case but also has known connections with terror organizations in Pakistan. Mehta emphasized that such a situation could have led to an escape, forceful abduction, or even assassination.
Mehta further pointed to an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding Malik under section 268 of the Criminal Code of Procedure, which restricts jail authorities from taking the convict out of the jail premises for security reasons.
