Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, Supreme Court

While observing that the rights of prisoners with disabilities must be recognized and effectuated in a manner that accords with a humane approach, the Supreme Court has asked the High-Powered Committee to formulate a comprehensive and implementable action plan for safeguarding their rights and making provision of appropriate assistive devices.

The Apex Court has also asked all the States and Union Territories to place their compliance affidavits before the High Powered Committee within a period of six weeks.

The Apex Court was considering a matter relating to the rights, conditions of detention, and institutional safeguards available to prisoners with disabilities within prison systems across the country.

The Division Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta ordered, “The High-Powered Committee shall formulate a comprehensive and implementable action plan for the provision of appropriate assistive devices, mobility aids, and other necessary support equipment to prisoners with disabilities, ensuring that such measures are tailored to their specific needs and functional requirements. The said action plan shall also lay down uniform standards, modalities of procurement, maintenance protocols, and safeguards, while duly taking into account the security considerations inherent in prison administration, so as to facilitate its effective and consistent adoption by all the States and Union Territories.”

“Before parting, it is necessary to emphasise that the directions issued herein are firmly grounded in the constitutional guarantees of dignity, equality, and substantive justice. The rights of prisoners with disabilities must be recognised and effectuated in a manner that accords with a humane, rights-based approach, ensuring that incarceration does not, in any manner, dilute or abridge the fundamental protections enshrined under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. The concerned authorities are, therefore, duty-bound to ensure faithful and effective implementation of these directions, in both letter and spirit”, it added.

Factual Background

The Court, vide an order dated December 2, 2025, noted that the grievances raised by the petitioner stood substantially ventilated by the directions issued in L. Muruganantham v. State of Tamil Nadu and Others (2025). In the said decision, the Apex Court laid down an exhaustive framework to safeguard the rights of prisoners with disabilities, directing identification of such prisoners at the time of admission, provision of accessible infrastructure, availability of healthcare and assistive devices, training and sensitisation of prison staff, establishment of monitoring mechanisms, submission of periodic compliance reports to ensure effective implementation of the mandate of the RPwD Act, 2016 and constitutional guarantees.

The Court had directed that the directions issued in L. Muruganantham (supra) be extended to all States and Union Territories. It was further directed that all States and Union Territories would file comprehensive compliance reports within the stipulated period, clearly indicating the measures undertaken for effectuating the directions. When the matter came up for hearing on April 8, 2026, it was brought to the Court’s notice that only 12 States and Union Territories had filed their compliance affidavits.

Reasoning & Directions

On a perusal of the facts of the case and the submissions made, the Bench held that the issues raised in the proceedings could be more appropriately, effectively, and comprehensively addressed by the High-Powered Committee constituted by the Court in the matter of Suhas Chakma v. Union of India & Ors.(2026). “We are informed that the functioning of the High-Powered Committee is still at a nascent stage and therefore, the incorporation of this additional mandate, being of utmost significance, would in no manner encumber its proceedings”, it added.

The Bench thus enumerated the following directions:

  • The Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Union of India (or his nominee not below the rank of Additional Secretary), should start active participation in the proceedings before the High-Powered Committee.
  • The Secretaries of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment/Department of Social Welfare of all States and Union Territories (or their nominees not below the rank of Additional Secretary) should also join the proceedings and ensure effective representation before the High-Powered Committee with immediate effect.
  • All the States and Union Territories should place their compliance affidavits before the High Powered Committee within a period of six weeks from the date of this order.
  • The petitioners, as well as the intervenor(s) can participate in the proceedings before the High-Powered Committee and should be at liberty to file their representations along with any relevant material, before it.
  • The High-Powered Committee should ensure due and effective compliance by all States and Union Territories with the directions issued by this Court in L. Muruganantham (supra), as well as those mandated vide order dated December 2, 2025, in the present proceedings.
  • The High-Powered Committee shall, as far as feasible within a period of four months, submit a consolidated status report before this Court indicating the progress made, challenges encountered, and further measures proposed for ensuring full compliance with the directions issued by this Court.
  • All the States and Union Territories should extend full cooperation to the High-Powered Committee and ensure that all requisite data, records, and logistical support are made available to it promptly.

The Bench also asked the Registry to transmit a copy of this order to the Chairperson of the High-Powered Committee for necessary compliance. The matter has now been listed on September 1, 2026, along with Suhas Chakma (Supra).

Cause Title: Sathyan Naravoor v. Union of India & Ors. (Neutral Citation: 2026 INSC 397)

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