JODHPUR, May 4 -- The Rajasthan high court has raised "grave concerns" over the treatment of inmates at Jodhpur Central Jail. The court ordered the personal appearance of the director general of Prisons, Rajasthan, on the next date of hearing on May 14 to explain steps for augmenting CCTV surveillance and improving basic amenities. The observations came during the hearing of a custodial death of an undertrial prisoner. Justice Farjand Ali made the observations on Saturday in a custodial death case of an undertrial prisoner. After perusing nearly two hours of CCTV footage in his chamber, he described the material as presenting a "deeply distressing and disquieting picture regarding the conditions prevailing inside the jail." In July last year, Ruparam, was taken from the jail to a hospital with injuries, where doctors declared him dead. The bench noted: "The post-mortem report indicates multiple ante-mortem injuries sustained within a short duration prior to his death, thereby raising grave concerns regarding the treatment meted out to him while in custody and the circumstances leading to his untimely demise." On the court's direction, CCTV footage of the jail premises was produced before the bench. The bench flagged the conditions of the jail and observed that the number of lavatories available in the prison is "grossly inadequate". "For nearly 200 prisoners, only about six lavatories are available, as informed by learned AAG and the Jail Representative, and that too in a dilapidated and unhygienic condition, without proper maintenance," the bench said. The court also observed that the availability and arrangement of water taps within the ward are "wholly insufficient and improperly organised". It flagged lack of provision of safe and purified drinking water for the inmates. "The arrangements essential for ensuring a minimum standard of dignified living, including sanitation, water supply, and general upkeep, are not commensurate with the number of inmates housed therein. Such deficiencies, when viewed cumulatively, indicate a systemic lapse in ensuring the fundamental rights of prisoners, particularly their right to live with dignity, even while in custody." The bench also observed that no CCTV cameras are installed inside the barracks. The bench ordered: "The Director General, Prisons, Rajasthan, shall remain present in person before this Court on the next date of hearing and shall apprise this Court regarding the steps being taken to augment CCTV surveillance within jail premises, particularly inside or around barracks, and to improve basic amenities, especially the availability and condition of lavatories for inmates."...