Agitated over exploitation and poor quality food supplied inside district jail at Mathura, about 300 of the under-trials as well as convicted criminals went on a hunger strike on Tuesday evening.
The jail authorities tried to intervene in the matter but when they failed to handle the situation, local police officials reached the prison and somehow managed to convince the inmates to postpone their stir till Friday so that their complaints could be forwarded to the officers concerned for redressal.
Reports said that panic gripped amongst the staff of the district prison in Mathura when about 300 of the inmates suddenly raised their voice against the excesses and went on hunger strike, on Tuesday evening. All the inmates refused to take food or anything other to eat. Jail staff included superintendent tried to resolve the matter but they failed to do anything.
According to sources, the agitated inmates, during their interaction with the local police official who went to convince them to call of their agitation after jail staff had failed, claimed that the inmates disclosed that jail authorities supplied them low quality food and that too after taking money. For allowing the inmates to meet their family members, the staff took anything from Rs 250 to Rs 300 for each meeting.
The jail inmates also disclosed that the staff members threatened the convicted criminals going under life imprisonment that they will recommend them to be shifted to Central Jail in Agra, if they would not pay them Rs 10,000 to continue their stay in Mathura. Sources also disclosed that the inmates told the police that how the money was extorted from them for facilitating supply of pan masala, cigarette and other drugs inside the prison.
According to sources, the inmates started their hunger strike on Tuesday evening and finally postponed it on Wednesday morning. But they threatened that if appropriate action has been not taken against the jail staff after enquiry by Friday and if quality of food supplied to them would be not improved within the given time, then they would sit on indefinite hunger strike again.