Indian prisoners win right to watch Cricket World Cup Published duration 5 March 2015

image copyright Reuters image caption The judge said "prisoners need recreation for a healthy mind"

A prison in India is installing cable connections to allow prisoners to watch the Cricket World Cup after they argued it was a "fundamental right".

Seven inmates at a prison in Guwahati, the capital of the north-eastern Assam state, had petitioned for the move.

Justice Arup Kumar Goswami ruled: "Prisoners need recreation for a healthy mind."

NDTV reported it will apply to "undertrial prisoners" - those who have not yet been convicted.

"Watching television for news, sports and entertainment is a fundamental right within the purview of the Constitution of India," the petition read.

Lawyers representing the prisoners had argued that viewing television was part of the "right to life and personal liberty" set out by India's constitution.

Cricket is India's most popular sport and the national team are the defending world champions.

On Wednesday, Gauhati High Court directed that cable connection be installed within five days.

India play the West Indies on Friday and an official at the prison said installation had already begun.

Of the seven successful petitioners, one is the former head of a local tribal council.

Prisoners were already able to watch the state-run Doordarshan channel, which is screening India's matches.

However, the majority of the games being played in Australia and New Zealand are only available to subscribers of the Star TV cable network.