The Bombay High Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea by Himayat Baig, the convict in the 2010 Pune German Bakery blast, regarding his alleged solitary confinement in Nashik Central Prison. Baig, who has been imprisoned for 12 years since his conviction, claimed that solitary confinement was adversely affecting his mental health.
Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale, presiding over the division bench, stated that there was no evidence to suggest any “psychological trauma” as claimed by Baig. Consequently, the court refused to grant the relief sought by him to be moved out of solitary confinement.
Baig had also requested the court to direct the jail authorities to assign him some work, to which the court responded affirmatively, citing that work assignments would be made in accordance with prison rules and regulations.
The Maharashtra government clarified during the proceedings that no prison in the state practices solitary confinement as per the law. However, it was noted that individuals convicted of heinous offenses, such as those involved in bomb blasts, are housed separately from other inmates for security reasons.
Baig was convicted in 2013 by a special court in Pune under the stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), initially receiving a death sentence. The Bombay High Court later commuted his death penalty to life imprisonment in 2016 and acquitted him of the charges under the UAPA.
The 2010 blast at German Bakery, a popular eatery in Pune, resulted in the deaths of 17 people and injuries to 60 others. Baig was the only person convicted in connection with the attack, with six others also being charge-sheeted in the case.
