High Court Slams Illegal Recovery in Jails, Seeks Detailed Report from DG Jail

The High Court has considered the illegal recovery being done from the prisoners and their relatives in the state's jails as a serious matter and has put the state government and the jail administration in the dock. During the hearing of the case on Monday, the court said that jails are called correctional homes, but if news of corruption and extortion comes from here, then it is a very worrying situation.

The division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice BD Guru directed the DG (Prisons) and Correctional Services to submit a detailed report on the next date on what action has been taken so far against the jail personnel found guilty and what was its result. The next hearing of the case will be on 22 September 2025.

In the affidavit submitted to the High Court in the case, it was told that 87 cases of extortion have been registered from Durg Central Jail so far. Charge sheets have been filed in six of these cases and cases are pending in five. The accused was acquitted in one case, while the investigation of one case is going on. The most surprising thing was that the mobile number of a breakfast centre located outside the jail has exposed the extortion of money from the relatives of prisoners through Phone-Pay.

According to the report, the case of two guards demanding money from the relatives of a prisoner in Janjgir-Champa district jail was proved. After police investigation, the district jail superintendent sent a proposal for action. Similarly, a serious case of extortion and beating of prisoners came to light in Sarangarh-Bilaigarh sub-jail, in which an FIR has been registered against six accused and now the case is pending in the trial court.

An advocate in Jashpur district jail had complained that his brother was demanded money by a jail guard in the name of providing phone call facility. The district administration has formed a committee to investigate this matter, whose proceedings are still going on.

The court said that such incidents in jails are a violation of the basic rights of prisoners and it is a deep blow to law and order. Extortion of money by jail employees, beating of prisoners and even use of online payment is a very serious crime. Strict action is necessary on this. The High Court gave a clear warning to the DG Jail and said that the facts of concrete action against the culprits should be placed before the court.