Jail inmates call off strike

RANCHI: Normalcy returned on the premises of Ranchi Jail on Sunday, a day after inmates called a strike protesting against the Supreme Court’s order related to releasing prisoners given life term by various courts.
The protest came in the wake of the delay in the release of Teju Mahto, a prisoner undergoing life term. Mahto has already undergone 20 years of imprisonment.According to the latest Supreme Court directive, he could be released only after the state government’s approval after analysing five key points, which include determining whether the convict’s crime was of an individual nature and that he would not indulge in such crimes again in future.
The government has also to decide whether his stay in prison would be of any help. All these problems can be solved only after SSP’s and DC’s comments and other formalities. As a result, the process of Teju’s release has been delayed.
According to jail superintendent Purushottam Thakur, some inmates serving life term, who know that their release would now be impossible under the new law, told some other inmates serving life imprisonment that their release too, is impossible.
“The convicts want the government to take back its order and restore the earlier situation in which the jail superintendent alone could decide on their release,� he said, adding that Teju himself is not involved in the strike.
Though Thakur refused to comment on whether the earlier system was better, he clarified that Teju is the first case under the new rules.
Earlier, on Saturday the inmates at the Birsa Munda Central Jail here called a strike and refused to work or have food. They shouted slogans against the CM, home secretary and IG (prisions) for implementing the SC order and demanded a meeting with the CM. Some even beat up other prisoners who initially refused to join the strike.
Jail authorities resorted to lathicharge as the situation went out of control.