The family of Afzal Guru, who was hanged two weeks ago at Tihar jail, has not yet approached the prison authorities to pray at his grave, though the government has made the offer. ‘We have not received any letter from Guru’s family in this regard,’ Director General of Tihar Prisons Vimla Mehra told reporters during the annual conference at Tihar Jail on Friday. The government has already said it will allow Guru’s close relatives to visit his grave, an offer rejected by the family, which has been insisting on return of his body.
On the criticism that the letter sent to Guru’s family informing about his hanging reached two days after his execution, Mehra said, ‘It was a job (Afzal’s hanging) assigned to us and we followed the official procedure to execute it.’
Guru was hanged at Tihar jail on 9 February in a secret operation, after his final appeal for mercy was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee. His body was buried inside the jail premises.
At the annual conference, DG Vimla Mehra also focused on the rehabilitation of prisoners, along with stepping up of security of jail premises. She said, ‘We have taken new initiatives such as mobile jammers, smart cards for prison inmates, full human body scanners to mention a few, which will be introduced shortly.’ To aid reform of convicts and to show them that trust could be reposed in them, Tihar has also chosen 24 prisoners for the open-jail system this year.
Twenty one mobile jammers have been installed in the jail premises in addition to the existing 11 mobile jammers. These jammers have been upgraded to block the 3G technology. X-Ray scanners have also been installed in all jails, and all articles brought by prisoners or their relatives will be scanned.
‘A amart card cash system has also been introduced to assist prisoners in their monetary transactions at canteen, replacing the old coupon system,’ said a police official.
Various global bids have been invited for these projects in order to prevent prohibited articles in jail premises. ‘This year, 24 inmates have been selected for the semi-open jail. The selection of these convicts for their confinement in semi-open jail was approved recently by Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna,’ said Vimla Mehra, director general (Prisons).
Last year, only two inmates were selected for the semi-open jail, Mehra said. While in the semi-open jail, a prisoner is allowed to work for a full day outside his sub-prison, but within the 400-acre sprawling premises of the jail. Tihar houses some 12,000 prisoners. When the semi-open jail scheme was first announced last year, only two prisoners were found eligible for it.
18 DEATHS IN JAIL IN 2013
India’s largest prison, the Tihar Jail here has witnessed 18 deaths, including two suicides, during 2012, an official said. Tihar’s Director General Vimla Mehra said: ‘Sixteen inmates died last year inside the jail and two prisoners committed suicide.’
Magisterial inquiries were conducted in every death but inquiry reports in the suicide cases are yet to come, she told reporters. Mehra said inmates are provided round-the-clock medical attention in jails for which there is a 150-bedded hospital in central jail number 3 and dispensaries attached to other jails. As many as 12,113 prisoners are lodged inside nine jails, out of which 540 are women.
ANNA’S PAINTING BY INMATE FETCHES RS 20,000
An oil painting of Anna Hazare by an inmate of India’s largest prison Tihar earned him Rs 20,000 in an exhibition, said jail officials. ‘M Lankeshwaran, who is serving jail term for murder, made an oil painting of Anna Hazare which was put up in Tihar exhibition of paintings. A tourist bought it for Rs 20,000,’ said a jail official on Friday. In 2011, Anna Hazare had spent three days in Tihar when he was sent to jail ahead of his fast for a strong Lokpal Bill. The 51-year-old Lankeshwaran is among 20 trained painters in Tihar who are teaching painting to 30 inmates, keen on taking up the paint brush as their hobby. The exhibitions of their paintings are organised at various palaces in the capital which include Select City Walk shopping mall and five-star hotels. Monetary assistance is provided by the Tihar jail authorities.
On the criticism that the letter sent to Guru’s family informing about his hanging reached two days after his execution, Mehra said, ‘It was a job (Afzal’s hanging) assigned to us and we followed the official procedure to execute it.’
Guru was hanged at Tihar jail on 9 February in a secret operation, after his final appeal for mercy was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee. His body was buried inside the jail premises.
At the annual conference, DG Vimla Mehra also focused on the rehabilitation of prisoners, along with stepping up of security of jail premises. She said, ‘We have taken new initiatives such as mobile jammers, smart cards for prison inmates, full human body scanners to mention a few, which will be introduced shortly.’ To aid reform of convicts and to show them that trust could be reposed in them, Tihar has also chosen 24 prisoners for the open-jail system this year.
Twenty one mobile jammers have been installed in the jail premises in addition to the existing 11 mobile jammers. These jammers have been upgraded to block the 3G technology. X-Ray scanners have also been installed in all jails, and all articles brought by prisoners or their relatives will be scanned.
‘A amart card cash system has also been introduced to assist prisoners in their monetary transactions at canteen, replacing the old coupon system,’ said a police official.
Various global bids have been invited for these projects in order to prevent prohibited articles in jail premises. ‘This year, 24 inmates have been selected for the semi-open jail. The selection of these convicts for their confinement in semi-open jail was approved recently by Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna,’ said Vimla Mehra, director general (Prisons).
Last year, only two inmates were selected for the semi-open jail, Mehra said. While in the semi-open jail, a prisoner is allowed to work for a full day outside his sub-prison, but within the 400-acre sprawling premises of the jail. Tihar houses some 12,000 prisoners. When the semi-open jail scheme was first announced last year, only two prisoners were found eligible for it.
18 DEATHS IN JAIL IN 2013
India’s largest prison, the Tihar Jail here has witnessed 18 deaths, including two suicides, during 2012, an official said. Tihar’s Director General Vimla Mehra said: ‘Sixteen inmates died last year inside the jail and two prisoners committed suicide.’
Magisterial inquiries were conducted in every death but inquiry reports in the suicide cases are yet to come, she told reporters. Mehra said inmates are provided round-the-clock medical attention in jails for which there is a 150-bedded hospital in central jail number 3 and dispensaries attached to other jails. As many as 12,113 prisoners are lodged inside nine jails, out of which 540 are women.
ANNA’S PAINTING BY INMATE FETCHES RS 20,000
An oil painting of Anna Hazare by an inmate of India’s largest prison Tihar earned him Rs 20,000 in an exhibition, said jail officials. ‘M Lankeshwaran, who is serving jail term for murder, made an oil painting of Anna Hazare which was put up in Tihar exhibition of paintings. A tourist bought it for Rs 20,000,’ said a jail official on Friday. In 2011, Anna Hazare had spent three days in Tihar when he was sent to jail ahead of his fast for a strong Lokpal Bill. The 51-year-old Lankeshwaran is among 20 trained painters in Tihar who are teaching painting to 30 inmates, keen on taking up the paint brush as their hobby. The exhibitions of their paintings are organised at various palaces in the capital which include Select City Walk shopping mall and five-star hotels. Monetary assistance is provided by the Tihar jail authorities.