Jharkhand High Court Directs DLSA To Inspect Jails For Quality Of Food Served To Inmates
The Jharkhand High Court while considering an Appeal was pursuing a register pertaining to the selection of the committee to run the canteen.
Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad, Justice Arun Kumar Rai, Jharkhand High Court
The Jharkhand High Court has directed the District Legal Services Authorities to conduct inspections of jails to check if the quality of food provided to inmates there is as per the jail manual or not.
The Court, while considering a Criminal Appeal, perused a register pertaining to the selection of the committee to run the canteen.
The Bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Arun Kumar Rai held, "This Court, on consideration of the said submission, is granting such permission to run the canteen with a direction that the Jailor will be held responsible if any irregularity will be found on inspection which is to be conducted by the JHALSA/DLSA and as has been referred in the order dated 19.11.2025 that in case of any irregularity, the Court will pass an order to initiate Departmental Proceedings, the same will be passed in such circumstances."
The Appellant was represented by Advocate Ayush Deb, while the Respondent was represented by Public Prosecutor Pankaj Kumar.
The Jailor, who is at the helm of affairs regarding the supply of food to the inmates, had submitted that now the foods is being supplied as per the jail manual.
The Court had passed an order directing the Secretary Home and I.G. Prison to file a specific affidavit by calling for reports from all the different jails regarding the quality of food and submit an affidavit to that effect.
The Public Prosecutor had submitted that the quality of food has been improved and now, they are being provided with the food as per the jail manual. He further submitted that since the Committee has been constituted with the majority of the inmates to run the canteen, now the permission may be given to run the said canteen for easing out the problem of the inmates for the purpose of getting the day to day articles which is to be used by them on day to day basis.
The Court, apart from issuing the required directive, further directed the Chairman, District Legal Services Authority, Ranchi, to visit along with the Secretary, DLSA, Ranchi on any non-working day, for conducting a surprise inspection to ascertain the aforesaid facts.
"Such endeavor is also be taken by all the Chairman of the DLSA and the Secretary, DLSA of the different District Legal Services Authorities to conduct the inspection regarding the quality of food to assess as to whether the foods are being supplied to the inmates as provided under the Jail manual", the Court stated.
The matter was accordingly adjourned to December 11, 2025.
Cause Title: Akash Kumar Roy v. National Investigating Agency
Appearances:
Petitioner- Advocate Ayush Deb
Respondent- Public Prosecutor Pankaj Kumar, Assistant Counsel to Public Prosecutor Sharda Kumari, Advocates Amit Kumar Das, Manmohit Bhalla and Sourav Kumar