The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday (August 31, 2026) directed the Superintendent of Prisons and District Legal Services Authorities concerned to file their reports on a public interest litigation petition that alleged prisoners from marginalised communities were forced to clean toilets in prisons.A Division Bench of Justices C.V. Karthikeyan and R. Sakthivel was hearing the petition filed by K.R. Raja of Madurai, who sought a direction to the State to prevent such work being assigned to prisoners at the Central Prisons in Madurai, Palayamkottai and Tiruchi, and the Special Prison for Women in Madurai and Tiruchi.The petitioner said this practice not only violated the dignity and the fundamental rights of the inmates, but also went against the Supreme Court’s directions in Sukanya Shantha v. Union of India, which mandated complete elimination of caste-based discrimination in prisons.The continuation of such inhumane practices gravely undermined the rule of law and human dignity. This must be treated with the urgency and the seriousness it demanded, he said.He sought a direction to constitute a special board of visitors comprising the District Legal Services Authorities to file a report on caste-based discrimination and take action against the prison officials involved in the violations.The court directed the Prison Superintendents to file their report. The court also directed the District Legal Services Authorities concerned to inspect and file separate reports, and posted the matter to October 12. Published - August 31, 2026 08:32 pm IST