High Court refuses relief to blast convict alleging solitary confinement

Bombay High Court denies relief to Himayat Baig, convicted in 2010 Pune blast, alleging solitary confinement affecting mental health.

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday (February 18, 2025) said there was no concern of any "psychological trauma" to Himayat Baig, convicted in the 2010 Pune German bakery blast case, who had alleged solitary confinement in prison.

Mr. Baig in a petition filed last year claimed he has been kept in solitary confinement at the Nashik central prison in Maharashtra since the last 12 years. He sought to be shifted out of solitary confinement, claiming it was affecting his mental health.

A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale, however, refused to grant any relief.

"At this stage, there is no concern of any psychological trauma as alleged by the petitioner (Baig)," the high court said.

With regard to Baig's prayer seeking a direction to the jail authorities to assign him some work in prison, the court said he shall be assigned work as per the prison rules and regulations.

The Maharashtra government had earlier told the HC that as per the law, no prison in the state follows the system of solitary confinement.

As per the jail authorities, persons convicted for heinous offences, such as blasts and so on, are kept separately than others.