Prisoners of the Central Jail here went on a hunger strike on Wednesday complaining of poor quality of food and violation of human rights. The prisoners shouted slogans against the jail administration which residents and commuters along the Jaipur road outside have reported hearing it. The incident jolted the district administration and an inquiry was initiated. The jail management denied any charge of ill treatment and claimed that after privileges were discontinued to hard-core criminals, the prisoners reacted in this way.
Officials rushed to the jail to get details of the agitation following a message to the police control room. According to sources, at the time of first roll call, hundreds of prisoners gathered and decided for the strike. The movement spread and other also joined them and started shouting slogans against the jail premises. “The slogans were so loud that they can heard outside and even up to the main gate of Rajasthan board of Secondary Education, which is across the road.
Sources said prisoners complained to the officials about the poor quality of food and ill treatment of their family members who came to meet them. They staff charge seve shulk- service tax from prisoners and there is also a racket of drugs operating inside the bars.
Meanwhile, the jail administration denied the charges against them and said some of the prisoners who are against strictness inside according to the jail manual started the ruckus. “Prisoners went on the hunger strike after the instigation of some whose privileges were stopped after we take up a drive against illegal activities inside the jail,” said Shanker Lal Ojha, the jail superintendent. He said some of the hard-core undertrial prisoners are instigating other jail mates to create pressure on the administration. “My efforts are to enforce the jail manual strictly and that is the cause of their protest,” Ojha added.
District collector Vaibhav Galaria started an inquiry in the matter and deputed additional district collector Jadgish Prohit and police officials to find the reasons. “I have ordered an inquiry into the matter and checking the information from the prisoners. The officials are also checking the charges made against the jail administration,” Galaria said, adding, “We are looking if the grievances of the prisoners are genuine or not.”
The sources said about 1,400 prisoners are in the Ajmer jail including undertrials and convicted terrorists. Earlier, dozens of mobile phone handsets and SIM cards were recovered from the jail. During inquiries, it was revealed that prisoners had talked to Pakistan and Bangladesh from inside the jail. Even cases of smuggling drugs were also reported from the jail.
src: TOI