The Supreme Court, on July 3rd, expressed its concern in a case involving an accused from the Kuki community who was unable to undergo a medical examination while lodged in Manipur Central jail. The Court instructed the State to promptly arrange for the accused to be taken to Gauhati Medical College in Assam for examination. Justices JB Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan directed the officials to obtain detailed medical reports and present them to the Court by July 15, 2024, with the state bearing all expenses.
The Court observed in the order :
The petitioner was found to be suffering from piles, TB, and severe back pain. He had also reported this to the jail authorities.
On November 22, 2023, a medical officer examined the petitioner and noticed tenderness in the lower spine, recommending an x-ray. Unfortunately, such a facility was not available at Manipur Central jail. The report did not mention anything about TB or piles. In the impugned order, the High Court stated that the petitioner accused cannot be taken out of jail due to belonging to the Kuki community and the potential hazards related to the law and order situation.
The Supreme Court noted in its ruling that it had the option to comment on the actions of the State and the High Court, but for now, it chose not to do so.
However, Justice Pardiwala’s panel emphasized that if the medical report uncovers something extremely grave, the Supreme Court will address it.
“Trust us, Mr. counsel. As an officer of the court…not as the State’s counsel, urge the authorities to take this man into custody,” the Court instructed the State Counsel before adjourning.