Mysterious deaths haunt jail

Rattled by the sudden spurt in the number of mysterious deaths of prisoners and officials in the jail,  the authorities are contemplating arranging special poojas, presumably to counter the “invisible forces” believed to be roaming around the “jinxed” jail. 

As many as 19 people have died, many in mysterious circumstances, in the past 17 months on the jail premises.

 Between June and September this year, 19 prisoners died in the jail, sources said. The jail caught national attention after deputy chief medical officer Y S Sachan was found dead on the campus in June last  year.   This apart,  a prisoner ended his life by jumping from the seventh floor of the district court in August.

‘Irrational’

The jail officials, who are  reluctant to comment on the issue on record, do have an explanation for their “irrational” belief though. 

According to them,  the  prisoners were shifted from the old building to the new during the “pitrapaksha” (the month in which Hindus offer special pooja for their departed souls).
It is believed that no new and auspicious work should be done during the “pitrapaksha.”  “The shifting took place between September 10 and 13 in 2009. It was not the right time for undertaking such things,”  jail officials said.

The saner elements, however, attribute the deaths to over crowding, depression among the prisoners, long trial, lack of proper treatment and inhuman behaviour of the jail employees.

The Mayawati government had demolished the old jail to pave the way for the sprawling Ambedkar Park, despite resistance from  the opposition parties and some organisations.
 The historic jail had a barrack where revolutionaries like Ram Prasad Bismil had been confined during the freedom struggle.