Deduction in prisoners wages for victim fund not wrong if allowed under law: HC

The Delhi High Court on Thursday said there is nothing wrong with deducting wages of prisoners for victim welfare fund provided it is permitted under the statute, but it can't be done through executive action.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar said that while such deductions cannot be done by way of an executive order, in Delhi it was being done under the statute -- the Delhi Prison Rules of 2018 -- which was permissible.

It asked the Delhi government, represented by its standing counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra, as to why the prison authorities here had stopped making the deductions.

Mehra told the court that the practice was stopped in December last year after the high court had directed that the same be put on hold.

He also told the bench that under the Delhi Prison Rules of 2018, Rule 96(8) provided for such deductions.

Advocate Ajay Verma, appearing for petitioner Katyayini, opposed the deduction saying various high courts in the country have done away ..