The Allahabad High Court has directed the Etawah Central Jail authorities to allow a Muslim prisoner to perform prayers and read the Quran, following allegations of religious discrimination. The ruling comes after the prison administration was accused of preventing the inmate from offering prayers and forcibly taking away his Quran during Ramadan.
The case was brought before the court by Uzma Abid, wife of the prisoner, who is serving a life sentence for his alleged involvement in the 2005 murder of MLA Raju Pal. The petitioner argued that her husband, detained in a high-security prison, was being denied the right to practise his religious duties, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan.
A bench comprising Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Nand Prabha Shukla heard the case and took a strong stance against the prison administration’s actions. The court ordered the jail superintendent to ensure that the prisoner is granted full religious freedom, allowing him to offer five daily prayers and keep a Quran in his possession. However, the court also clarified that regular security protocols within the prison should remain in place.
The UP government assured the court that it would investigate the allegations against the jail authorities and take necessary actions if required. The court emphasised that security concerns should not come at the cost of violating a prisoner’s fundamental religious rights.