Health check
Chennai: Madras high court on Tuesday directed the deans of govt medical college hospitals in Salem and Tirunelveli to constitute medical boards comprising three doctors each, to visit the central prisons in the districts to examine the health condition of four prisoners, who were part of the 17 inmates who escaped from the Theni prison. A division bench of Justice A D Jagadish Chandira and Justice B Karthikeyan passed the interim order on a plea moved by K Arumugathammal alleging that her sons Meenakshi Sundaram, Thirupathi and other remand prisoners Solai Mugileswaran and Sabarinathan were subjected to custodial assault and ill-treatment as a retaliation to their jail break. Recording the same, the bench directed the deans of Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital, Salem, as well as the dean, Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, Tirunelveli, to constitute and depute respective medical boards which shall accompany the District Legal Services Authorities concerned during their prison visits, examine the prisoners, and provide requisite medical treatment wherever necessary.
On Monday, TNSLSA chairman Justice S M Subramaniam has instructed the Theni district legal services authority to visit the prison and conduct an inquiry into the allegations of torture by not providing proper food and drinking water, and other ill treatment of the prisoners before their escape from the jail.