The High Court of Judicature for Rajasthan at Jaipur has concluded a long-running batch of public interest litigation proceedings aimed at systemic prison reform, issuing comprehensive directives to the state government following a fatal security lapse at the High Security Jail in Ajmer . In a judgment delivered on October 26, 2026 , the Division Bench , led by Chief Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal and Justice Sameer Jain, disposed of several petitions that had been pending since 2012 . The court emphasized that while substantial institutional changes have been achieved over the past fourteen years, recent incidents underscored the necessity of perpetual oversight and robust technical infrastructure.

The decision followed the court's grave concern regarding the death of an undertrial prisoner , Jagan Gurjar, who was murdered within the confines of the High Security Jail in Ajmer on June 29, 2026 . Investigations into the incident revealed that a CCTV camera, which was meant to cover the cell where the murder occurred, had been non-functional due to a technical fault. While the jail administration was found not to have acted with willful negligence , the court observed that the reliance on outdated or faulty technology compromised the safety of inmates and the integrity of the correctional system.

Establishing Institutional Accountability To prevent future security failures and ensure sustained compliance with judicial directives, the High Court has mandated the creation of a permanent State-Level Monitoring Committee. This committee will be headed by the District Judge of the respective district, who will serve as the administrative and judicial lead to monitor conditions within the local jails. The inclusion of the Director General of Prisons, the Member Secretary of the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority , and the Director of the Department of Information Technology and Communication as committee members aims to bridge the gap between policy and field-level implementation.

Reflecting on the progress made throughout the litigation, the bench stated, "The extensive exercise undertaken by this Court since 2008 has yielded substantial institutional reforms, the enactment of updated Prison Rules , and widespread infrastructural upgrades." Despite this growth, the court underscored that the Ajmer incident served as a stark reminder of the fragile nature of prison security. "The implementation of these directions requires perpetual vigilance, adequate technical support, and not merely episodic compliance," the court observed.

Technology and Infrastructure Mandates A significant portion of the court’s order addresses the technical shortcomings that plagued prison security systems. The bench issued a formal mandamus to the Director of the Department of Information Technology and Communication and the RAJCOMP Info Services Ltd. , granting them a three-month deadline to resolve all pending maintenance requests from state jails. This directive requires the full installation of proposed CCTV cameras, including the commissioning of 275 units at the Central Jail in Bikaner and 60 units at the District Jail in Jaipur . Furthermore, the court ordered that all existing but defective cameras be repaired and that adequate storage and backup systems be rendered operational to ensure that prison oversight is consistent and verifiable.

The court also directed the Prison Department to develop a new Standard Operating Procedure for periodic and surprise security sweeps. This protocol aims to curb the unauthorized use of mobile phones within prison walls—a persistent issue that had previously led the court to label certain jails as "Shadyantralaya" or conspiracy houses. By maintaining strict, institution-wise logs of contraband recoveries, the state is expected to provide greater transparency and accountability in its enforcement of prison discipline.

Welfare and Human Rights Initiatives Beyond security, the judgment broadens the scope of prisoner welfare. The court directed the state to finalize, approve, and formally notify the " Rajasthan Custodian Death Relief Scheme 2025 " within three months. This move follows the adoption of similar welfare schemes in other Indian states and aims to provide a structured relief framework for families affected by custodial deaths .

Additionally, the bench addressed the rights of specific categories of inmates. It ordered the installation of automatic sanitary napkin vending machines across all women’s prisons in the state, ensuring that basic hygiene standards are met. The court also pressed for the finalization of a policy regarding periodic meetings between closely related convicts, recognizing the importance of familial contact in the process of rehabilitation. Regarding the economic rights of prisoners, the court reiterated the need for wages to remain in consonance with the mandates established by the Supreme Court , ensuring that labor performed within the correctional system is compensated fairly, often reflecting the minimum wage standards seen in schemes such as the MNREGA.

Future Surveillance and Compliance The state government is now required to conduct a time-bound assessment of its manpower requirements, specifically regarding the recruitment of Challani Guards, to address the challenges posed by current levels of prison overcrowding. The State-Level Monitoring Committee is tasked with convening quarterly reviews to evaluate whether these directions—and previous orders passed since 2016 —are being executed in letter and spirit.

By mandating that the District Judges assume a more active role in the supervision of prison life, the High Court has sought to decentralize the monitoring process, ensuring that the oversight is both consistent and responsive to local conditions. With the disposal of these cases, the court signaled that while judicial supervision has been essential in initiating these reforms, the responsibility for maintaining a secure and humane correctional environment must now shift to a permanent administrative structure. "Keeping these judicial dockets pending endlessly serves no further fruitful purpose," the court noted, signaling that the current framework provides the necessary legal teeth for the government to fulfill its obligations to all inmates. The Registrar (Judicial) has been instructed to circulate the order to all District Judges across Rajasthan to ensure immediate and uniform compliance.