The Madras High Court has sought a response from the State Government and prison authorities concerning allegations that prisoners belonging to oppressed communities are being disproportionately assigned toilet-cleaning and manual scavenging work in prisons across Tamil Nadu. A Bench comprising Justice C.V. Karthikeyan and Justice R. Sakthivel directed the legal services authorities to inspect the concerned prisons, examine CCTV footage and conduct an inquiry with prisoners before submitting reports to the Court. The Bench also directed the Principal District Judges of Madurai, Tirunelveli and Trichy, along with the Superintendent of Prisons, to inspect prisons and submit reports regarding the allegations.
The proceedings arose from a petition filed by a social worker and co-founder of Global Network for Equality, India, a registered social service organisation. The organisation works towards reconstructing the lives of children of crime victims and eliminating the social stigma associated with them. The petitioner approached the High Court raising concerns about alleged caste-based discrimination in prisons and the alleged practice of assigning manual scavenging and toilet-cleaning duties to prisoners belonging to oppressed communities. The petition sought judicial intervention to examine the allegations and prevent such practices within the prison system.
The petitioner specifically alleged that Madurai Central Prison and Palayamkottai Central Prison were housing prisoners in numbers substantially higher than their sanctioned capacity. It was further alleged that certain blocks and barracks within the prisons had been demarcated exclusively for prisoners belonging to oppressed communities. According to the petitioner's allegations, prisoners from these communities were being compelled to clean toilets and undertake manual scavenging work. The petitioner characterised the alleged practice as a serious violation of the dignity and fundamental rights of prisoners.
The petitioner's case was that assigning such work on the basis of caste was not merely a question concerning prison administration but involved alleged discrimination against a particular section of prisoners. According to the plea, the alleged practice violated the dignity of prisoners and their fundamental rights. The petitioner also contended that such conduct was contrary to directions issued by the Supreme Court concerning the elimination of caste-based discrimination within prisons.
The petitioner relied upon the Supreme Court's position that caste-based discrimination within prisons is unconstitutional and violates fundamental rights. The plea stated that the Supreme Court had already struck down provisions contained in prison manuals that required segregation or categorisation of prisoners on the basis of caste. The petitioner therefore argued that any continuing practice under which prisoners belonging to oppressed communities were assigned particular forms of work because of their caste would be contrary to the legal position laid down by the Supreme Court.
The allegations before the High Court concerned not only toilet cleaning but specifically manual scavenging work. The petitioner alleged that prisoners from oppressed communities were being forced to perform such duties while in official custody. The plea described the alleged practices as inhuman and submitted that they seriously undermined the rule of law and human dignity. The petitioner requested that the allegations be examined through an independent process rather than being dealt with only through the responses of the prison authorities themselves.
The petitioner had earlier approached the authorities with representations concerning the alleged practice. Through these representations, the petitioner requested that prisoners belonging to oppressed communities no longer be assigned manual scavenging and toilet-cleaning duties and that an independent and time-bound inquiry be conducted. The petitioner also sought the constitution of a Special Board of Visitors that would include members from the District Legal Services Authorities. The purpose of the proposed board was to examine the allegations independently and determine whether prison officials were responsible for enabling or continuing discriminatory practices.
The representations also sought disciplinary and legal action against prison officials found responsible for the alleged practices. The petitioner maintained that if officials were found to have enabled or perpetuated caste-based discrimination or the assignment of manual scavenging duties to prisoners from particular communities, appropriate action should follow. The request for an independent inquiry was therefore accompanied by a demand for accountability against officials if the allegations were established.
The authorities, however, responded to the petitioner's representations by stating that there was no manual scavenging or caste-based discrimination in Tamil Nadu prisons. The authorities therefore denied the existence of the alleged practices. The petitioner disputed this response before the High Court and submitted that he had received information from the families of prisoners indicating that prisoners were in fact being forced to undertake such work. According to the petitioner, this information was inconsistent with the authorities' denial of the allegations.
The alleged contradiction between the official response and the information received by the petitioner became one of the reasons for seeking judicial verification. The petitioner submitted that information obtained from families of prisoners indicated that the alleged practice continued despite the authorities stating otherwise. The petition therefore requested that the Court order an independent examination of the prison conditions and directly obtain information from prisoners rather than relying solely on administrative responses.
The Madras High Court, while considering the petition, directed the legal services authorities to undertake inspections of the prisons concerned. They were directed to examine CCTV footage and conduct an inquiry with prisoners. The Court required reports to be filed after these inquiries. The directions were intended to enable the Court to receive information regarding the actual conditions prevailing inside the prisons and the allegations concerning the allocation of cleaning and manual scavenging duties.
The Court also directed the Principal District Judges of Madurai, Tirunelveli and Trichy to inspect prisons and submit reports. In addition, the Superintendent of Prisons was directed to undertake inspection and provide a report. These directions placed the responsibility of collecting information on multiple authorities and sought reports concerning the allegations raised in the petition.
The inspection directions included examination of CCTV footage. This was specifically relevant to the petitioner's allegations because CCTV recordings could provide information regarding the manner in which prisoners were being assigned duties and the activities taking place inside prison premises. The Court also directed that prisoners themselves be examined as part of the inquiry, allowing the authorities conducting the inspection to obtain information directly from those allegedly affected by the practices described in the petition.
The petitioner had sought the constitution of a Special Board of Visitors that would include members from the District Legal Services Authority. According to the petition, such a body would be capable of conducting an independent and time-bound inquiry into the allegations. The petitioner also sought directions to prevent the assignment of manual scavenging and toilet-cleaning work to prisoners belonging to oppressed communities and requested action against prison officials found responsible for such practices.
The allegations were specifically connected to the treatment of prisoners belonging to oppressed communities. The petitioner alleged that certain prison blocks and barracks had been demarcated for prisoners belonging to such communities and that those prisoners were then made to undertake toilet-cleaning duties. The petitioner linked this alleged arrangement with the broader issue of caste-based discrimination in prisons and relied on the Supreme Court's directions concerning the elimination of caste-based segregation and discrimination.
The petitioner further submitted that the alleged practices were particularly serious because they were said to occur while the affected persons were under official custody. According to the plea, forcing prisoners belonging to a particular community to undertake manual scavenging and toilet cleaning amounted to a grave violation of human dignity. The petitioner therefore sought urgent judicial intervention to ensure that such practices, if found to exist, were stopped and that responsibility was fixed upon officials involved in them.
The authorities' denial that manual scavenging or caste-based discrimination existed in Tamil Nadu prisons was therefore placed before the Court alongside the petitioner's contrary allegations. Rather than conclusively accepting either version at the initial stage, the High Court directed inspections, examination of CCTV footage and interaction with prisoners. The reports sought by the Court are intended to provide factual material concerning the allegations raised in the petition.
The proceedings also concern the broader conditions in Madurai Central Prison and Palayamkottai Central Prison. The petitioner alleged that both prisons were accommodating prisoners beyond their sanctioned strength. This overcrowding allegation was presented alongside the allegations concerning the segregation of certain prisoners into particular blocks or barracks and the alleged assignment of toilet-cleaning duties to prisoners from oppressed communities.
The petitioner's allegations therefore cover several related issues within the prison administration. These include the alleged overcapacity of the prisons, the alleged demarcation of certain blocks and barracks for prisoners from oppressed communities, the alleged assignment of toilet cleaning and manual scavenging duties to those prisoners, and the alleged continuation of such practices despite representations made to the authorities. The petitioner sought an independent mechanism to examine these matters and appropriate action if the allegations were established.
The High Court's directions do not record a final finding that the alleged practices are taking place. Instead, the Court has sought reports and directed inspections to ascertain the factual position. The legal services authorities have been directed to inspect the prisons, examine CCTV footage and speak with prisoners, while the Principal District Judges concerned and the Superintendent of Prisons have also been asked to inspect and submit reports.
The matter is titled KR Raja v. The State of Tamil Nadu and Others and has been registered as WP (MD) 25102 of 2026. The proceedings are before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. Justice C.V. Karthikeyan and Justice R. Sakthivel are hearing the matter. The case concerns the allegations of caste-based discrimination and the alleged assignment of manual scavenging and toilet-cleaning work to prisoners belonging to oppressed communities.
The Court's directions require the authorities to provide factual reports regarding the conditions inside the prisons. The inquiry is to include examination of CCTV footage and interaction with prisoners, while judicial officers and prison authorities are also required to undertake inspections. The reports will place before the Court information concerning the allegations raised by the petitioner and the authorities' response that no manual scavenging or caste-based discrimination exists in Tamil Nadu prisons.
The petitioner's case is that the alleged assignment of manual scavenging and toilet-cleaning work to prisoners from oppressed communities cannot continue in official custody and that any such practice would violate the dignity and fundamental rights of prisoners. The petitioner has also relied upon the Supreme Court's position against caste-based discrimination and segregation in prisons. The State and prison authorities have denied that such practices exist, and the High Court has now sought independent reports and inspections to examine the allegations.
The proceedings therefore remain focused on verification of the allegations. The High Court has called for reports from the concerned authorities and directed inspections of the prisons, including examination of CCTV footage and interaction with prisoners. The petitioner's requests for preventing the alleged practices, constituting a Special Board of Visitors and taking disciplinary or legal action against responsible officials remain matters for consideration in the proceedings after the factual reports are placed before the Court.
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