2 weeks ago
Maharashtra SHRC Gives Taloja Prison Two More Weeks to Reply
The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission is a group that works to protect people's rights.
It visited Taloja Prison last year and saw things that worried it.
One worry was that prisoners were being told to take off all their clothes during searches.
Another worry was whether the prison's cameras were working well enough.
The commission also asked how the people who cook food for prisoners are chosen.
It said the prison rules about a 'thorough search' do not mean prisoners should have no clothes on.
A court had already said in 2023 that making prisoners stand naked is against their rights.
A man named Abdul Wahid Shaikh, who was found not guilty in an old train bombing case, said prisoners were forced to undress in front of officials.
He asked why airports use scanners but prisons do not.
The prison authorities now have two more weeks to give their answers.
The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission granted the Special Inspector General of Prisons, Pune, two more weeks to file an affidavit over concerns from a visit to Taloja Central Prison.
Concerns raised include frisking practices that reportedly made prisoners remove their clothes, the adequacy of the prison's CCTV system, and criteria for appointing skilled cooks for inmates.
The SHRC observed that the Prison Manual's 'thorough search' provision cannot be interpreted to mean prisoners should be unclothed during frisking.
In 2023, a Special Judge under MCOCA held that making undertrials nude during searches violated their fundamental right to privacy and directed the use of scanners.
Abdul Wahid Shaikh, acquitted in the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts case, described humiliating searches at the prison entrance and questioned why airport-style scanners are not used in prisons.
- Who
- The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission, the Special Inspector General of Prisons, Pune, Taloja Central Prison authorities, and former undertrial Abdul Wahid Shaikh.
- What
- The SHRC granted two additional weeks for prison authorities to file an affidavit explaining concerns over frisking practices, CCTV surveillance, and cooking staff criteria at Taloja Central Prison.
- Where
- Taloja Central Prison, Maharashtra, India.
- When
- August 13, 2026, following an inspection of the prison last year.
- Why
- To address concerns that prisoners were subjected to humiliating strip searches, to clarify the adequacy of CCTV surveillance, and to seek criteria for selecting skilled kitchen staff.
Prisoner Dignity and Privacy
Prison Security Needs
Frisking methods
Prisoner Dignity and Privacy
Making prisoners remove their clothes during frisking humiliates them and violates their fundamental right to privacy; a court has already ruled such searches unlawful while the Prison Manual's 'thorough search' does not justify unclothing prisoners.
Prison Security Needs
The Prison Manual provides for a 'thorough search' of prisoners entering the jail, which authorities interpret as permitting intrusive physical searches to prevent contraband and maintain security.
Use of scanning technology
Prisoner Dignity and Privacy
Modern scanning equipment used at airports should be deployed in prisons to replace strip searches, as physical searches are unnecessary and discriminatory.
Prison Security Needs
Physical searches may be unavoidable where scanning equipment is unavailable, implying equipment constraints justify continued manual searches.
Key facts
- Commission
- Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (SHRC)
- Prison
- Taloja Central Prison
- Respondent
- Special Inspector General of Prisons, Pune
- Deadline Extension
- Two additional weeks to file affidavit
- Key Concerns
- Frisking practices, CCTV system, kitchen staff selection criteria
- Prior Ruling
- 2023 MCOCA court ruling: nude searches violate right to privacy
- Related Case
- Abdul Wahid Shaikh acquitted in 2015 in 7/11 Mumbai train blasts case
- Date
- August 13, 2026
Quotes
Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission
Official body overseeing human rights in Maharashtra prisons
“"The Prison Manual mentions about thorough search of the prisoner while entering into the prisoner. The term thorough search could not be extended to unclothing of the prisoners for frisking and searching."”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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