‘Key posts in central jails lying vacant’

Disposing of a petition that sought a direction to the State government to take steps to fill up the posts of Additional Superintendent and Social Workers in all central jails in the State, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court directed the State to look into the matter.

A Division Bench of Justices T. S. Sivagnanam and S. Ananthi directed the State to look into the issue and pass orders. The court disposed of the petition filed by K. R. Raja of Madurai. He said that the posts were lying vacant since 2018.

The main function of Additional Superintendents was to check court orders with regard to admission and release of prisoners after verification and checking committal warrants, he said. The Subordinate officers were carrying out these functions due to vacancy in the posts. The posts of Social Workers who offered counselling to prison inmates were also lying vacant, he said.