The Madras High Court on Monday ordered notice on a plea moved by the mother of S Nalini, a life convict in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, seeking to transfer her daughter from special prison for women in Vellore to the Central Prison at Puzhal.

Nalini

Chennai:

A division bench comprising Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice VM Velumani before whom the plea came ordered notice to the prison authorities returnable in a week.

Nalini’s mother Padma had submitted that on taking into account her age and inability to travel, her daughter had made a representation on February 22 to transfer her from the Special Prison for Women, Vellore to the Special Prison for Women, Puzhal, Chennai so that they can meet each other at least once in a week.

But during the pendency of the said representation, the national lockdown was announced with effect from March 25 and during the lockdown Nalini was ill-treated by the prison officials and she was not even allowed to talk to her lawyer through WhatsApp video whereas other prisoners were allowed.

“I was informed by her during one video call that her life in prison was miserable because of continuous ill-treatment perpetrated on her by certain prison officials,” she said in her plea.

Though a representation was made on July 21 seeking Nalini’s transfer on humanitarian grounds, it was not so far been considered forcing her to move the habeas corpus plea, she added.