Chanchalguda Central Prison under scrutiny over steel-sheet cell doors
HYDERABAD: Chanchalguda Central Prison has come under scrutiny for installing closed steel-sheet doors in its cells. Prisoners say these doors caused extreme heat, breathing problems, and mental stress, making cell conditions inhumane. Advocate G. Jabali, who filed a petition with the Telangana Human Rights Commission (TGHRC), rejected the prison’s official explanation and called for a fresh review.
Going further into details, Advocate G. Jabali approached the TGHRC for prisoners in the Narmada Block. Jabali said inmates reported that prison authorities replaced iron-bar grill gates with closed steel-sheet doors. This change blocked airflow and ventilation. Prisoners told Jabali they suffered from extreme heat, breathing problems, and mental stress, especially during the summer.
Specifically, the complaint named one prisoner, Paddam Kosaiah, who had been in the Narmada Block and now lives elsewhere in the prison. However, Jabali said other inmates in the block did not want their names revealed. They feared retaliation from prison officials.
The complaint also flagged the absence of an adequate open ground or recreational area attached to the block, arguing that access to fresh air, sunlight, and physical exercise is essential to the health of inmates. Furthermore, citing Article 21 of the Constitution, the advocate sought a Commission-ordered inspection and directions to prison authorities to replace the steel-sheet doors with ventilated alternatives and to provide proper outdoor recreational space.
TGHRC hearing on Chanchalguda prison
In response, the THRC issued a notice on 12 June 2026 to the Superintendent of Chanchalguda Central Prison. The Commission asked for a report by 7 July 2026. In a letter dated 30 June 2026, the Superintendent admitted that steel-sheet coverings had been installed over iron-grill doors in the Narmada Block. According to the administration, this was a temporary security measure. They said they added the coverings when certain high-security prisoners were in the block.
The report said that after reviewing security and hearing from inmates, the prison removed all the steel-sheet coverings. As of now, all cells in the block have only iron-grill doors. The Superintendent said each cell has two ventilators and a ceiling fan. In addition, he added that prisoners have RO-purified drinking water, a 24/7 water supply, a common verandah, and open space for daytime movement.
The report also listed recreational facilities available to inmates, including carrom, chess, television access, and regular morning physical training and yoga sessions. Based on this, prison officials said that there was no deficiency in the facilities currently provided in the Narmada Block.
In a exclusive conversation, Advocate Jabali has told HyderabadMail that the relief offered by the report is, at best, temporary, and that he is not satisfied with the prison’s explanation. He has sought an additional date before the Commission to file a formal comment challenging what he described as a distorted report.
Inside Chanchalguda’s shocking prison conditions
Chanchalguda Central Prison faces scrutiny after inmates alleged steel-sheet cell doors caused poor ventilation, extreme heat and mental stress. Prison officials report to Telangana Human Rights commission confirms the same.… pic.twitter.com/O4l4BZNKh1
— Hyderabad Mail (@Hyderabad_Mail) July 7, 2026
According to Jabali, the prison’s own submission confirms that steel-sheet doors were fixed over the existing iron grill doors, and that they were removed only after the complaint and subsequent representations were made, not on the administration’s own initiative. Moreover, he pointed out that the report does not specify when the steel sheets were installed, under whose orders, or under which rule or provision of the prison manual they were authorised.
Advocate challenges jail report
Jabali argued that merely recording that the doors have now been removed, without the Commission examining the legality of the arrangement, would leave the door open for the authorities to reinstall similar coverings in the future. Further, he contended that Indian prison law does not grant authorities a general power to cover or seal cell grill doors with steel sheets on the basis of security reasons alone, and that any such security measure must have a demonstrable legal basis and be both necessary and proportionate. In his view, until the prison administration produces the specific rule, standing order, prison manual provision, or judicial order it relied upon, its stated justification remains an unsupported assertion.
Jabali also said several inmates told him the closed doors had been in place for years, not just a short time as the report claims. He will urge the Commission to order the Superintendent to produce records showing when and why the steel-sheet doors were installed.
The Telangana Human Rights Commission will hear the case on 6 August 2026. The key question is now not just whether the doors were removed, but whether they should have been installed in the first place and under what authority, added Jabili.
