On Wednesday, the Supreme Court directed the Central government and 11 states, such as Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, to respond to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging that prison manuals in these states promote caste-based discrimination within correctional facilities. Senior advocate S. Muralidhar argued before the bench, headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, that the jail manuals in these states exhibit bias in the allocation of tasks within prisons, where an individual's caste influences their accommodation and work assignments.

Muralidhar pointed out differential treatment towards certain de-notified tribes and habitual offenders. The court, acknowledging the seriousness of the matter, instructed Muralidhar to compile the jail manuals from the concerned states for further review.

The PIL, filed by Sukanya Shantha from Kalyan, Maharashtra, seeks the repeal of discriminatory provisions in state prison manuals. The bench issued notices to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and others, urging Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to provide assistance in addressing the raised concerns. The court scheduled the plea for a hearing after four weeks.

In response to the allegations, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned that he was not familiar with caste-based discrimination and suggested that segregation in prisons typically occurs based on the distinction between undertrial prisoners and convicts.

The states implicated in the PIL, in addition to Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, include Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Odisha, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra.

Case: SUKANYA SHANTHA vs. UNION OF INDIA,

W.P.(C) No. 001404 - / 2023.