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Why prisoners love their Boss to hunger, death: The Indian Express
Ahmedabad, Nov 20: Four of them try to commit suicide. Most of the 3,000 prisoners of Gujarat`s largest prison, the Sabarmati Central, refuse to touch food for the second day in a row-the tiffin boxes their relatives brought lie unopened. Seven inmates move a writ petition in the Gujarat High Court. All because the authorities transferred Jail Superintendent Sanjiv Bhatt yesterday.
Ahmedabad, Nov 20: Four of them try to commit suicide. Most of the 3,000 prisoners of Gujarat’s largest prison, the Sabarmati Central, refuse to touch food for the second day in a row—the tiffin boxes their relatives brought lie unopened. Seven inmates move a writ petition in the Gujarat High Court. All because the authorities transferred Jail Superintendent Sanjiv Bhatt yesterday.
The state government claimed this evening that the inmates’ ‘‘agitation’’ has ended. But jail sources told that Jagdish Virjee and Jayendrasinh Jivatma, both lodged in the Bada Chakkar of the prison, tried to commit suicide by inflicting injuries on their forearms with a sharp-edged metal piece. They were rushed to Civil Hospital for treatment.
While Virjee was discharged, Jivatma was admitted for further treatment. Two others were treated at the jail hospital after they injured themselves by banging their heads against the wall, said a jail official.
When asked to explain, Inspector General of Police (Jails) Upendra Singh said: ‘‘It is a gimmick to influence the court as their petition is coming up for hearing tomorrow. There is nothing serious at all and the situation is under control.’’
The words ring hollow. Clearly, Bhatt paid the price for being different, for making a difference in lives behind bars. Finding the prison’s dismal conditions revolting, Bhatt did.
The unthinkable. He ordered better food for the inmates, did away with the wire mesh that separated them from their visitors and ensured more and more went to hospital for medical checks.
But as the inmates applauded the reforms, his own department set off the alarm. Jail department officials prepared a report — it ensured his transfer — saying Bhatt had tossed the jail manual out of the window ‘‘in the name of reforms.’’ By lifting the restriction on free movement of inmates, he was endangering lives, jail officials said. But Bhatt has no regrets: ‘‘All these are just allegations. I empathised with the lot of prisoners who were living in dismal conditions. I improved the quality of food and medical facilities, got the wire mesh removed because it was two feet wide and prisoners and relatives could not even talk to each other.’’
‘‘As for allowing prisoners to go to the Civil Hospital, I made sure those who needed
While Virjee was discharged, Jivatma was admitted for further treatment. Two others were treated at the jail hospital after they injured themselves by banging their heads against the wall, said a jail official.
When asked to explain, Inspector General of Police (Jails) Upendra Singh said: ‘‘It is a gimmick to influence the court as their petition is coming up for hearing tomorrow. There is nothing serious at all and the situation is under control.’’
The words ring hollow. Clearly, Bhatt paid the price for being different, for making a difference in lives behind bars. Finding the prison’s dismal conditions revolting, Bhatt did.
The unthinkable. He ordered better food for the inmates, did away with the wire mesh that separated them from their visitors and ensured more and more went to hospital for medical checks.
But as the inmates applauded the reforms, his own department set off the alarm. Jail department officials prepared a report — it ensured his transfer — saying Bhatt had tossed the jail manual out of the window ‘‘in the name of reforms.’’ By lifting the restriction on free movement of inmates, he was endangering lives, jail officials said. But Bhatt has no regrets: ‘‘All these are just allegations. I empathised with the lot of prisoners who were living in dismal conditions. I improved the quality of food and medical facilities, got the wire mesh removed because it was two feet wide and prisoners and relatives could not even talk to each other.’’
‘‘As for allowing prisoners to go to the Civil Hospital, I made sure those who needed