Gangsters using mobile phones, lack of 5G signal jammers, no female medical staff and just one doctor to attend over 2,800 inmates, these were some issues that the NHRC found during inspection at Gurugram’s Bhondsi jail.
The inspection was carried out by National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC) Special Monitor Balkrishna Goyal on Tuesday.
During his inspection, Goyal found out that there was only one doctor. Also, no woman doctor is in the jail for female inmates which raises concerns about how sick women would discuss their health issues with the male doctor, an National Human Rights Commission official said. A senior jail official admitted to the shortage of medical staff in jail.
Three posts are sanctioned for medical officers in the jail but only one is appointed. As there is just one doctor in the prison, he refers the sick inmates to civil hospital in Gurugram, the official said
Along with knowing about the well-being of all the prisoners in the Bhondsi jail, Goyal also enquired about the facilities being provided to them and the behaviour of the jail administration.
He also inspected the jail’s kitchen and expressed satisfaction over the food being provided to the inmates.
“The Bhondsi jail has only 2G signal jammers, so 5G networks are operational on mobile phones.Taking advantage of this, several gangsters lodged in the jail are reportedly using mobile phones inside,” Balkrishna Goyal said.
According to an official, as of December 2024, a total of 2,898 inmates are lodged in jail against a sanctioned capacity of 2,412.
The inmate population comprised 2,269 male undertrials, 80 female undertrials, 532 male convicts and 17 female convicts.
Balkrishna Goyal also visited an old age home located in Mandawar village in Sohna area and took stock of the services and facilities being provided there.
