CCTV Cameras Inside Women's Barracks?

Angela Harish Sontakke, a 45-year-old political prisoner under trial facing charges of being a Maoist party member, has been incarcerated since April 2011, mostly at Byculla Jail in Mumbai. In a mulaqat with her lawyers Maharukh Adenwalla and Susan Abraham on 8 April 2015 Angela informed them that CCTV cameras were going to be installed inside the women’s barracks. On coming to know of this on 1 April 2015, Angela and the other inmates protested that this would be a clear invasion of their privacy. She also asked that they should be shown the notice allowing CCTVs inside the barracks. But the jail superintendent accused Angela of instigating other inmates. He threatened to: (i) put her in 24-hour isolation, and (ii) to put a case on her for not allowing jail officials to perform their duties. Angela and the other inmates explained that they have no objection to CCTV cameras at the entrance of the barracks, corridors, court yard, at the gate, steps and offices, but that they cannot be installed inside the barracks.

On 2 April 2015, after bandhi, jail staff took Angela away saying that she was being kept in a “separate” cell—obviously as punishment for opposing the CCTV installation. Angela protested by starting a hunger strike that evening itself. In the meantime, Angela got to see a copy of the circular issued by Meera Borwankar, IG, Prisons where it is stated that CCTV cameras ought to be installed at: (i) the main gate; (ii) the judicial office; (iii) the high security cells; and (iv) mulaqat rooms. The circular does not state that cameras should be installed inside the barracks. Angela submitted a letter to a prison officer—that she was on a hunger strike and demanded that (i) the CCTV cameras not be installed inside the barracks; and (ii) that she be returned to the barracks. Instead of considering her demands, Angela was further punished by putting her in an “isolation” cell with no contact with other inmates.