A day after meeting with Uttarakhand Governor, Mussoorie MlA Ganesh Joshi alleged that the Government headed by former Chief Minister Harish Rawat had hatched a conspiracy to eliminate him in jail.
Addressing the media in Dehradun on Sunday, Joshi said, “They treated me like a criminal instead of a political prisoner. It is true that they made me a political scapegoat but condition of jail inmates in Suddhowala is pathetic. Inmates including aged, physically handicapped, chronic patients and general category prisoners are being forced to live in inhuman conditions,” said Joshi while sharing his four-day experience of being incarcerated.
He said, “They did not provide me warm water to bathe. Even then Government had hatched a plan to eliminate me in jail. This was disclosed by a jail official to me. That time I had taken this information very lightly but when a prisoner shared similar information with me, I got alarmed,” he said. The MlA also expressed gratitude towards the Mussoorie voters for supporting him while he was living in jail.
Joshi said that the number of inmates staying in Suddhowala jail is much more than the sanctioned capacity of 580. Currently, 1241 inmates are incarcarated in Suddhowala jail. Several inmates, convicted in petty crimes, are spending years in jail because they could not arrange `5000 to pay as security or legal help. General prisoners had to stay with dreaded criminals so their chances of return in social life gets bleak.
In jail hospital they don’t provide warm water for aged inmates, physically handicapped and chronic patients. The jail does not have permanent doctor despite being overcrowded. Several women prisoners are there but no woman doctor has been posted there.
He demanded reform to better things for the elderly inmates who keep suffering because of the dearth of minimum amenities the correctional homes should be endowed with. There are several inmates whose age is over 70 years and their condition is miserable. They often defecate on their beds.
Joshi said that in some states, elderly inmates veering on 60s are freed on humanitarian grounds. He demanded that the same should happen in Uttarakhand too.
He said he had come across many who remained behind the bars and spending time along with hardened criminals for as many as six months for their failure to produce the meager sum.
Joshi appealed to install solar heater to warm the water. The aged persons, suffering from major diseases, are facing difficulties to take bath in cold water.
Joshi said the Governor should review the dowry cases in connection to which several members of families are spending years in prisons. Some of them are elderly, on the threshold of 75.
He also alleged that the criminals having political connection getting and extending parole easily while there are many veering on 90-95 languishing in jail for the past two years being denied parole.