annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Rajasthan
On 26 September 2004, Kavita Srivastava
of the People’s Union For Civil Liberties,
who was part of a nine-member women’s
delegation that visited Shahadpur and
other villages in Bharatpur and Karauli
districts on 25 and 26 September 2004,
alleged that the 15-year-old girl was killed
on the decision of the caste panchayat with
participation from nearby villages. At least
six Bairwa families had migrated out of
the village due to threats from the
dominant caste members.
VI. Prisons and prisoners
The prison conditions in Rajasthan
were deplorable. All the prisons in the
State were reportedly facing shortage of
staff resulting in further deterioration of
the already abysmal condition. The post of
Deputy Superintendent was vacant in most
jails and about 50 percent posts of the
other staff were also reportedly lying
vacant for more than a decade. On the
other hand, the number of prisoners in jails
kept on swelling over the years. In the
absence of security staff of the jails, the
Rajasthan State Government has been
deploying the volunteers of the Home
Guards at the jails all over the state. They
too were reportedly working without
salary for the last one year. There has been
no fresh recruitment of staff in jails for
more than a decade. The existing staffs
were reportedly overworked due to
shortage of manpower. 39
There were no female staff at the
Barmer district jail to attend the female
prisoners. The condition of the four female
prisoners lodged in the jail was very
deplorable as there were no separate
provisions for them. They were compelled
to share toilet, bathroom and other
provision with their male counterparts. In
March 2004, one of the female prisoners
gave birth to a boy inside the jail. 40
Despite being seriously ill, many of
the prisoners at the Kota Central Jail were
reportedly refused to get admitted at the
prisoners ward in a hospital at Kota.
Some of the ailing inmates, who were
admitted at the ward, alleged that the
ailing prisoners were not attended by any
health or medical personnel but by
policemen who beat up them on the
slightest excuse.
One of the inmates of the Kota Central
Jail, Ram Swaroop who was brought to the
hospital on 16 November 2004, reportedly
declined to get admitted at the prisoners’
ward for fear of torture despite advice of the
doctor who attended him. Another ailing
prisoner at this ward Ram Babu alleged that
he was severely beaten up by policemen at
the ward when he sought permission to
attend nature’s call. He fell unconscious due
to the beating. Another sick prisoner
Hanuman, who was discharged from the
ward on 16 November 2004 was beaten up
with baton by the policemen when he
sought permission to ease. 41
■
219