The correct option is Rights of prisoners and protection against physical torture..
Explanation
The Supreme Court of India has interpreted Article 21 (Right to Life and Personal Liberty) expansively to include the right to live with human dignity. This constitutional protection extends to individuals in custody, ensuring that the state's power to punish does not infringe upon basic human rights beyond the limitations inherent to incarceration.
Detailed Analysis
- Context of the Case: Sunil Batra vs. Delhi Administration (1980) originated from a letter written by a prisoner to a judge of the Supreme Court, highlighting the brutal physical torture and solitary confinement of another prisoner by jail authorities. The Court treated this letter as a writ petition under Article 32.
- Judicial Ruling: The Supreme Court held that a person does not lose their personhood upon conviction. The judgment famously stated that "Fundamental rights do not flee the person as he enters the prison although they may suffer shrinkage necessitated by incarceration."
- Outcome: The Court laid down strict guidelines regarding solitary confinement and the use of fetters (irons). It ruled that prisoners are entitled to protection against torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, thereby reinforcing the scope of Article 21 within the prison system.
Key Takeaway: The Sunil Batra vs. Delhi Administration case is a landmark judgment that established prisoners' rights under Article 21, specifically protecting them against physical torture, solitary confinement without cause, and inhuman treatment by prison authorities.