Mon Jul 14 05:41:35 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summary of the provided text, written in a journalistic style:

**News Article:**

**Madras High Court Orders Puzhal Prison to Notify Consulates of Foreign Detainees**

**Chennai, India – July 14, 2025** – The Madras High Court has issued a directive to the Superintendent of Puzhal Central Prison, near Chennai, demanding immediate notification of foreign detainees to both the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the consulates of their respective countries. The order comes after the court discovered lapses in protocol regarding the detention of Sri Lankan nationals.

A Division Bench, presided over by Justices M.S. Ramesh and V. Lakshminarayanan, emphasized that Rule 531 of the Tamil Nadu Prison Rules, 2024, mandates that prison Superintendents inform relevant consulates about the detention of foreign citizens without delay. The court found that in at least three cases involving Sri Lankan detainees, the Superintendent of Puzhal Central Prison had failed to notify either the MEA or the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Chennai.

The court’s intervention prompted the Superintendent to belatedly inform the MEA, but the Deputy High Commission remained uninformed. Citing the mandatory nature of Rule 531, the judges ordered strict adherence to the regulation.

Additional Public Prosecutor E. Raj Thilak assured the court that the Superintendent would immediately notify the respective consulates regarding the detention of C. Nalin Sathuranga, C. Sujanthan, and B. Pushparaj, the three writ petitioners in the case, as well as all other foreign nationals held at the prison.

Rule 531 also requires prison officials to permit consulate representatives to visit detainees for legal consultation and representation, pending government approval. The court emphasized the necessity of notifying consulates to facilitate these rights.

The interim order was issued in response to petitions filed by the three Sri Lankan nationals, seeking consular visits and access to embassy grievance redressal mechanisms.

The court has directed the Superintendent to comply with the notification order immediately and submit a report by July 25, 2025.

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