Delhi HC asks state to form panel to manage open jails

The matter is next listed for hearing on July 24, 2026.

The Delhi High Court, taking suo motu cognisance of OCIs, directed the Delhi government to constitute a monitoring committee to manage OCIs. The committee should be headed by the executive chairman of the State Legal Services Authority or a nominee, and include the home secretary and a senior prisons officer not below the rank of deputy inspector general. It is tasked with ensuring compliance with the Supreme Court's February 26 order, overseeing the utilisation and expansion of OCIs, facilitating the transfer of eligible prisoners from closed prisons, and addressing impediments in implementation. The principal secretary (home) is to file an affidavit detailing steps taken. The court registered the suo motu PIL, made the Centre, Delhi government, and Delhi State Legal Services Authority parties, and appointed senior advocate Arvind Nigam as amicus. The bench said the committee should meet to devise strategies and identify prisoners who can be transferred to open prisons.

The Supreme Court, in a petition filed by civil rights activist Suhas Chakma, directed high courts to register suo motu petitions to monitor compliance with its judgment on Open Correctional Institutions (OCIs), focusing on the establishment, functioning, and expansion of open jails.