High Court Dubs Telangana Jail Rules Barring Women's Promotions Discriminatory

Hyderabad: The Telangana high court ruled on Wednesday that preventing the deputy superintendent of the women's prison from being promoted to the superintendent was unjust.

The high court overturned a regulation in the Telangana Jail Rules prohibiting women from holding the office. The judge hearing the case described the regulation as discriminatory. The provision was set down by the court in the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh's AP Jail Service Rules, which were published on August 17, 1996. The newly established state of Telangana eventually implemented these rules.

The bench stated that the rules prohibit women from advancing in their careers. The court also pointed out that the position of female superintendent is not specified in the rule book and that all deputy superintendents are eligible for advancement.

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After hearing a plea submitted by T Venkatalakshmi Srinadh, deputy superintendent of Warangal's central jail, a bench of chief judge Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice A Rajasheker Reddy ruled down the government's decision to the extent of this incompatible regulation.

The court ordered the state to convene a special committee to assess the petitioner's request for superintendent promotion.

Allowances are to be provided to the petitioner for her services.

The state and the prison wing were ordered to devise a plan to assist the female cops in receiving their due. Senior attorney G Vidya Sagar said it was unjust to disregard the petitioner's name despite all of her qualifications and service credentials just because she is a woman.

The petitioner's allowances and arrears for the two years of service she provided were also ordered to be paid.