Rajasthan High Court directs State govt to ensure immediate upgradation of living conditions at Alwar Detention Center

The Rajasthan High Court recently ordered the State government to ensure that all required logistics and repairs, etc. of the Detention Center, Alwar are catered to immediately. At this detention center, foreign nationals are usually housed before their deportation.

The bench of Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Farjand Ali observed, “We feel that it is absolutely essential to maintain and upkeep the Detention Centre in a good condition because the foreign nationals are being housed therein. Pursuant to being released and deported to their respective countries, they would carry impression regarding the conditions of the institution where they are housed till the date of their deportation”.

Moreover, the court stressed, “Otherwise also, the basic requirements of human dignity mandate that the conditions of such institutions should be upto the mark”.

The direction has been issued in a habeas corpus petition moved by 3 Tanzania nationals, which although having been disposed of on March 28, 2022, was kept open for deliberation on the issue of the living conditions at the Detention Center at Alwar, where the detenues were housed.

It was alleged that the living conditions at the detention center where the petitioner had been kept pursuant to the decision of a criminal case, were pathetic and worse than a prison.

Court took cognizance of the issue and issued directions to the concerned authorities. On the last date of hearing, court had asked the concerned authorities to file a report regarding the requisite steps to be taken for the upgradation of the conditions of the detention center.

In pursuance of the same, Dr. Samit Sharma, Secretary, Social Welfare Department and V. Sarvana, Secretary, Department of Home, Government of Rajasthan assured the court that appropriate steps shall be taken to improve the condition of the concerned detention center.

Taking the same into consideration, court directed the Secretary, Department of Home, Government of Rajasthan to ensure that all required logistics and repairs, etc. of the Detention Centre are catered to immediately and further ordered Dy. Solicitor General to instruct the concerned officials of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India to make a provision for sanctioning appropriate budget required for the maintenance and upkeep of the institution.

With the abovesaid directions, court closed the matter.

Case Title: Adam Godwin and Two Others v. Union Of India and Others