Faridabad prisoners on hunger strike over cut in weekly phone calls, claim threats by jail officials

Faridabad: More than 40 inmates at Neemka Jail here sat on a hunger strike after a cut in the weekly phone calls they are allowed to make and their protests were allegedly met with abuse and threats of punishment.

The inmates detailed their grievances in a note, which has surfaced online on Saturday. Jail superintendent Sanjay Bangar could not be contacted for a response.

According to the note, they were previously allowed to make phone calls to their home three days every week, which was reduced to two days.

Some prisoners went to ask the reason for the change, but jail officials allegedly abused them, the inmates said in the note.

They added in the note that they were told that if anyone raised their voice against the move, or against jail officials, they will not be allowed to go out and will be confined to the barracks.

"They treated us rudely and we got death threats. If anything happens to us, the jail administration will be responsible for it. They are also threatening us that they will beat us after turning off the CCTV," the note read.

Recently in Neemka Jail, a man accused of plotting to bomb the Ram temple was killed in his cell by another inmate, leading to security concerns. After this, jail officials were suspended and a probe was initiated.