'Dignity Behind Bars: Supreme Court's Landmark Ruling'

The Supreme Court has deemed the denial of dignity to prisoners as a relic of colonial oppression, ruling against caste-based discrimination in prisons. The decision declared certain prison manual rules unconstitutional, emphasizing the constitutional rights to dignity, equality, and protection from discrimination for incarcerated individuals.

In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court of India has underscored the right to dignity for incarcerated individuals, terming its denial as a 'relic of the colonizers and pre-colonial mechanisms.'

A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra on Thursday banned caste-based discrimination within prisons, including segregation and biased treatment of denotified tribes and habitual offenders.

The ruling declared unconstitutional certain prison manual rules of 10 states, highlighting the fundamental rights under Articles 14, 15, 17, 21, and 23 of the Indian Constitution. The judgment calls for the constitutional vision of equality and dignity to extend to all individuals, irrespective of their incarceration status.

(With inputs from agencies.)