Jail officials refute Yasin Bhatkal's claim, tell court 'no solitary cell in Tihar'

New Delhi: Tihar jail authorities on Tuesday told a Delhi court that there is no solitary cell in the prison while opposing Indian Mujahideen terrorist Yasin Bhatkal's plea that he was being kept in solitary confinement.

The officials informed the court that Bhatkal was kept under surveillance since there are several cases pending against him.

The response came in response to Bhatkal's plea seeking a direction to the jail superintendent not to keep him in solitary confinement. The court has reserved its order on the plea.

Bhatkal, who was recently awarded death penalty in the 2013 Hyderabad blast case, had moved an application before the court saying that in view of the law laid down by the Supreme Court, lodging him in isolation in a separate cell was in violation of the Constitution.

Bhatkal's counsel M S Khan also claimed in the application that his solitary confinement amounted to contempt of court.

Bhatkal is at present in judicial in several terror cases, including Dilsukhnagar twin blasts case in which he has been awarded capital punishment by an NIA court.