A.Syed Ali v. Union Of India

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 12.02.2026

CORAM:

THE HONOURABLE DR.JUSTICE G.JAYACHANDRAN and THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE K.K.RAMAKRISHNAN A.Syed Ali ... Petitioner -vs1.Union of India through its Secretary Ministry of Home Affairs North Block New Delhi-110 001 2.The Additional Chief Secretary Home (Prison-IV) Department Government of Tamil Nadu Secretariat, St.George Fort Chennai-600 009 3.The Member Secretary Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority Madras High Court Campus Chennai-600 104

4.The Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Department of Prisons and Correctional Services Tamil Nadu No.6, EVR Maniyammaiyar Salai Egmore, Chennai-600 008 5.The Deputy Inspector General of Prisons Office of the DIG of Prisons Madurai Range Madurai-625 016 6.The Deputy Inspector General of Prisons Office of the DIG of Prisons Trichy Range, Trichy-620 023 7.The Secretary District Legal Services Authority Combined District Court Campus Palayamkottai Tirunelveli-627 002 8.The Secretary District Legal Services Authority District Court Campus Madurai-625 020 9.The Secretary District Legal Services Authority Combined District Court Campus Trichy-620 001 10.The Superintendent of Prison Central Prison, Palayamkottai Tirunelveli-627 002

11.The Superintendent of Prison Central Prison Madurai-625 016 12.The Superintendent of Prison Central Prison Trichy-620 023 ... Respondents PRAYER: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, to issue a writ of mandamus direct the respondents to immediately take necessary action for the strict implementation on the blanket prohibition on the use, possession and circulation of beedi and tobacco products in all Central Prisons Palayamkottai, Madurai, Trichy and District Prisons in South Tamil Nadu and also implement the mandatory segregation of non-smoking prisoners in separate, clearly demarcated barracks or quarantine cells which requires regular inspection and monitoring by the State and District Legal Services Authorities to ensure compliance, in accordance with law and within the time stipulated by this Court.

For Petitioner : Dr.R.Alagumani For Respondents : Mr.P.Thilakkumar Government Pleader for R2 Mr.D.Sivaraman for R3, R7 to R9 Mr.K.Gnanasekaran Govt. Advocate (Crl. Side) for R4 to R6, R10 to R12

O R D E R

[Order of the Court was made by DR.G.JAYACHANDRAN, J.] Though the prayer consists of two parts, one is to prohibit the inmates in the Prisons from using tobacco products and another one is to segregate them from other inmates and to provide a separate space for smoking, since these two parts of the prayer are self-contradictory and destructive, when we were about to dismiss this writ petition for the said reason, learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that he is not pressing the second part of the prayer, since the Prison Manual clearly prohibits using tobacco products inside the prison.

2. We are of the view that even for the first part of the prayer, there is no necessity for a further direction to be issued by this Court by way of a writ of mandamus. Hence, we issue a direction to all the prison authorities that they shall scrupulously implement and follow the prohibitory orders as found in the Prison Manual in respect of use of tobacco products inside the prison.

3. With the above direction, this writ petition is disposed of. No costs.

[G.J., J.] [K.K.R.K., J.] 12.02.2026 NCC :

Yes / No Index :

Yes / No Internet :

Yes / No krk To:

1.The Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Union of India, North Block, New Delhi-110 001.

2.The Additional Chief Secretary, Home (Prison-IV) Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, Secretariat, St.George Fort, Chennai-600 009.

3.The Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, Department of Prisons and Correctional Services, Tamil Nadu, No.6, EVR Maniyammaiyar Salai, Egmore, Chennai-600 008.

4.The Deputy Inspector General of Prisons, Office of the DIG of Prisons, Madurai Range, Madurai-625 016.

5.The Deputy Inspector General of Prisons, Office of the DIG of Prisons, Trichy Range, Trichy-620 023.

6.The Superintendent of Prison, Central Prison, Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli-627 002.

7.The Superintendent of Prison, Central Prison, Madurai-625 016.

8.The Superintendent of Prison, Central Prison, Trichy-620 023.

DR.G.JAYACHANDRAN, J.

AND K.K.RAMAKRISHNAN, J.

krk 12.02.2026