annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
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INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Rajasthan<br />
On 26 September 2004, Kavita Srivastava<br />
of the People’s Union For Civil Liberties,<br />
who was part of a nine-member women’s<br />
delegation that visited Shahadpur and<br />
other villages in Bharatpur and Karauli<br />
districts on 25 and 26 September 2004,<br />
alleged that the 15-year-old girl was killed<br />
on the decision of the caste panchayat with<br />
participation from nearby villages. At least<br />
six Bairwa families had migrated out of<br />
the village due to threats from the<br />
dominant caste members.<br />
VI. Prisons and prisoners<br />
The prison conditions in Rajasthan<br />
were deplorable. All the prisons in the<br />
State were <strong>report</strong>edly facing shortage of<br />
staff resulting in further deterioration of<br />
the already abysmal condition. The post of<br />
Deputy Superintendent was vacant in most<br />
jails and about 50 percent posts of the<br />
other staff were also <strong>report</strong>edly lying<br />
vacant <strong>for</strong> more than a decade. On the<br />
other hand, the number of prisoners in jails<br />
kept on swelling over the years. In the<br />
absence of security staff of the jails, the<br />
Rajasthan State Government has been<br />
deploying the volunteers of the Home<br />
Guards at the jails all over the state. They<br />
too were <strong>report</strong>edly working without<br />
salary <strong>for</strong> the last one year. There has been<br />
no fresh recruitment of staff in jails <strong>for</strong><br />
more than a decade. The existing staffs<br />
were <strong>report</strong>edly overworked due to<br />
shortage of manpower. 39<br />
There were no female staff at the<br />
Barmer district jail to attend the female<br />
prisoners. The condition of the four female<br />
prisoners lodged in the jail was very<br />
deplorable as there were no separate<br />
provisions <strong>for</strong> them. They were compelled<br />
to share toilet, bathroom and other<br />
provision with their male counterparts. In<br />
March 2004, one of the female prisoners<br />
gave birth to a boy inside the jail. 40<br />
Despite being seriously ill, many of<br />
the prisoners at the Kota Central Jail were<br />
<strong>report</strong>edly refused to get admitted at the<br />
prisoners ward in a hospital at Kota.<br />
Some of the ailing inmates, who were<br />
admitted at the ward, alleged that the<br />
ailing prisoners were not attended by any<br />
health or medical personnel but by<br />
policemen who beat up them on the<br />
slightest excuse.<br />
One of the inmates of the Kota Central<br />
Jail, Ram Swaroop who was brought to the<br />
hospital on 16 November 2004, <strong>report</strong>edly<br />
declined to get admitted at the prisoners’<br />
ward <strong>for</strong> fear of torture despite advice of the<br />
doctor who attended him. Another ailing<br />
prisoner at this ward Ram Babu alleged that<br />
he was severely beaten up by policemen at<br />
the ward when he sought permission to<br />
attend nature’s call. He fell unconscious due<br />
to the beating. Another sick prisoner<br />
Hanuman, who was discharged from the<br />
ward on 16 November 2004 was beaten up<br />
with baton by the policemen when he<br />
sought permission to ease. 41<br />
■<br />
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