Mon Dec 23 20:18:17 UTC 2024: ## Delhi Reconsiders Conjugal Visits for Prisoners After Punjab Pilot Project Fails

**New Delhi, December 24, 2024** – The Delhi government is re-evaluating a proposal to allow conjugal visits for prisoners in the city’s jails following the suspension of a similar pilot project in Punjab. The decision comes in response to a Delhi High Court plea seeking these rights for inmates.

The Punjab pilot program, launched in September 2022, was discontinued due to concerns over security and the difficulty of thoroughly screening visitors for contraband. Delhi’s Chief Minister, seeking further legal counsel, is also investigating whether similar programs exist elsewhere in India.

The Delhi government’s proposal, submitted to the Home Department in October 2023, highlighted the challenges of implementing conjugal visits in Delhi’s already overcrowded prisons, which handle over 1,200 daily visits. While the government previously assured the High Court that the proposal would be considered by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, no progress has been reported over a year later.

The plea before the Delhi High Court, filed by advocate Amit Sahni, argues that denying conjugal visits violates the basic human rights of both prisoners and their spouses. Sahni points out that the majority of prisoners are within the sexually active age group (21-50). He emphasizes that the spouse of an incarcerated individual is punished without any wrongdoing.

Legal precedents supporting conjugal visits exist. The Punjab and Haryana High Court, in 2014, upheld a couple’s right to procreate within prison, while the Madras High Court has made similar pronouncements. Experts, including Supreme Court advocate S.D. Singh, advocate for a formal legal framework to govern conjugal visits, highlighting the need for a clear policy to address the complexities of such a program within the prison system. The current situation leaves the future of conjugal visits for Delhi prisoners uncertain, pending the government’s reassessment and any potential legislative action.

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