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Tag: prison conditions

Why are inmates unable to access basic facilities in Indian prisons?

Why are inmates unable to access basic facilities in Indian prisons?


Drawing by Arun Ferreira

Scroll.in / by Vijayta Lalwani

According to prison manuals, jail authorities are responsible for ensuring food, clothing and health facilities to inmates.
On November 6, activist Stan Swamy filed an application in a special court in Mumbai requesting access to use a straw and a sipper… When he was arrested in Ranchi, Jharkhand, he carried a small bag with himself that contained a few of his belongings as well as a straw and a sipper, said his lawyer Sharif Sheikh. However, after the arrest, the bag was left with the National Investigation Agency, which is probing the case.
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Father Stan Swamy has to go to court for a straw – NIA Asks 20 Days To Respond

Father Stan Swamy has to go to court for a straw – NIA Asks 20 Days To Respond

Father Stan Swamy has to go to court for a straw

08/11/2020

The Telegraph / by Pheroze L. Vincent, Sanjay K. Jha

The court, whose permission is required for materials to be sent in from outside jail premises, set the next hearing for November 26.
When Father Stan Swamy, the 83-year-old tribal rights activist, was arrested in haste in Ranchi in the Bhima Koregaon case and taken to Mumbai last month, he had carried a bag with him.
In the bag was a sipper with a straw, which he needs to consume liquids. Father Stan suffers from several age-related ailments apart from Parkinson’s, which has left him unable to hold any open liquid container like a cup or a mug without spilling the contents.
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Arrested Activist, 83, Requests Straw Citing Parkinson’s. NIA Wants Time

07/11/2020

NDTV / by Arvind Gunasekar

Father Stan Swamy, the 83-year-old tribal rights activist arrested last month over his alleged involvement in the Bhima-Koregaon case, has moved the special court in Mumbai for permission to use a straw and sipper cup while drinking.
The NIA (National Investigation Agency), which arrested Mr Swamy – who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease – from his residence in Ranchi on October 8, has sought 20 days time to respond.
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Stan Swamy files plea to allow use of straw, sipper in Taloja jail

06/11/2020

The Hindu / by Sonam Saigal

83-year-old accused in Bhima-Koregaon case, suffers from Parkinson’s.
Father Stan Swamy, 83, on Friday filed an application before the special court seeking that he be allowed the use of a straw and sipper in Taloja Central Jail where he has been lodged as he cannot hold a glass due to Parkinson’s disease.
The prosecution has sought time 20 days to file a reply to this application and the matter will be heard on November 26.
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Varavara Rao’s wife moves Supreme Court for his immediate release on medical grounds

Varavara Rao’s wife moves Supreme Court for his immediate release on medical grounds

Hindustan Times / by Kanchan Chaudhari

The wife of 82-year-old activist and poet Dr Varavara Rao, P Hemlatha, moved a writ petition in the Supreme Court (SC) for Rao’s immediate release on medical grounds. The petition says his custody amounts to cruel and inhuman treatment, violating Article 21 of the Constitution of India and is violative of his dignity in custody.
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‘Dr. Varavara Rao’s Health Condition Feeble’: Wife Moves SC For His Release On Medical Grounds

Live Law / by Sanya Talwar

Dr. P. Varavara Rao’s wife, Pendaya Hemlatha, has moved the Supreme Court in a writ petition for the immediate release of her husband basis medical grounds…
Filed on behalf of Senior Advocate Sunil Fernandes, the writ petition preferred under Article 32 of the Constitution states that Rao’s immediate release is pertinent from Taloja Central Jail, Maharashtra as his health condition is very feeble and that he suffers from various co-morbodities and not every person with Covid19 has similar symptoms.
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Varavara Rao denied medical care: Family

Varavara Rao denied medical care: Family

Mumbai Mirror / by Shruti Ganapatye

Jailed activist and poet Varavara Rao is being looked after by co-prisoners Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira rather than competent medical authorities in Taloja Jail in Navi Mumbai, his family have said.
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Maharashtra: Families of Prison Inmates Worried / Lockdown for some, lockup for others

Maharashtra: Families of Prison Inmates Worried / Lockdown for some, lockup for others


Read PUCL Report: Imprisoned and Unsave

Lockdown for some, lockup for others

Deccan Chronicle / by Bela Bhatia

More humane provisions are needed for prisoners, including political prisoners and those charged under special laws.
It is obvious that the threat of the coronavirus, a communicable disease, is worst in places of high population density. The prison is one such place. About half a million persons are incarcerated in more than 1,300 jails scattered all over India. More than two thirds are undertrials… It is only high-profile cases like those of Binayak Sen, Varavara Rao and others incarcerated in the Bhima Koregaon case that attract national or even international attention. While this attention is justified, most people do not realise that thousands of powerless, impoverished people face similar or worse injustice.
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Maharashtra: Families of Prison Inmates with Co-morbidities and Age Issues Worried

News Click / by Varsha Torgalkar

Activists have been demanding the release of prisoners on health grounds. So far, six inmates have died of COVID-19 in prisons across state and 1,772 prisoners have tested positive out of total 11,267 tests conducted as per the Prison Department data.
Pune: On July 12, poet and activist Varavara Rao’s daughter addressed a press conference saying, “My father, Varavara Rao, an 81 years old poet, blabbered about his father’s funeral which was held 75 years ago. Whatever he talked was incoherent during the weekly call from prison to family. His co-prisoner, Vernon Gonsalves, told us that he is in no condition to walk and carry out his daily works,” The family had panicked after the call and held the press conference the next day.
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Byculla women’s prison – no bed or ceiling fan and a fear of covid-19 outbreak

Byculla women’s prison – no bed or ceiling fan and a fear of covid-19 outbreak

Live Mint / by Omkar Khandekar

The Byculla women’s prison complex has several high profile prisoners apart from the actor Rhea Chakraborty, including Shoma Sen, Sudha Bharadwaj and Indrani Mukherjea.
… Despite the opacity around India’s custody and incarceration system, reports over the years on the condition inside paint a poor picture of the prison.
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Maharashtra jails, hospitals: Iron curtain on Covid-19 ‘violates’ right to life, says PUCL

Maharashtra jails, hospitals: Iron curtain on Covid-19 ‘violates’ right to life, says PUCL

Counterview / by Counterview Desk

In first of the “Lockdown on Civil Liberties” series, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), has pointed towards how many of the convicted prisoners in Maharashtra whose parole is depended on the prison authorities managed to get paroled as some of the prison authorities were keen to remove congestion amidst Covid-19 onslaught. However, undertrials, many them human rights activists and scholars, charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), failed to get bail even on pure humanitarian grounds.
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Report: Lockdown on Civil Liberties I – A PUCL (Maharashtra) series

03/09/2020

By PUCL (Maharashtra)

The Lockdown on Civil Liberties Series The lockdown and attendant issues have led to major violations of civil liberties and human rights… In this context the PUCL Maharashtra has decided to bring out various segmantwise reports to record the impact. While some of the reports like the present one focuses on Maharashtra others deal with all India situation.
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Why is Right to Health denied to political dissidents?

Why is Right to Health denied to political dissidents?

rediff.com / by Jyoti Punwani

The callousness with which these political dissidents are being treated goes against the Supreme Court’s directive, given right at the beginning of the lockdown.
The last few days have shown that the Right to Health, defined by the Supreme Court in more than one judgment as an integral part of the Right to Life, is being denied to the jailed intellectuals awaiting trial in the Bhima Koregaon case.
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Friends & family of Sudha Bharadwaj raise serious health concerns and seek her release

Friends & family of Sudha Bharadwaj raise serious health concerns and seek her release

Solidarity programs with Sudha Bharadwaj (click to enlarge)

Countercurrents / by friends and family of Sudha Bharadwaj

Keeping under trials in prison for two years deliberately stalling bail opportunities, with no effort for beginning the trial instead exposing them to serious health condition is a gross violation of rights of prisoners. This is further heightened in times of a global pandemic given the crowded situation in prisons…
Friends and family members of Sudha Bharadwaj gathered online Sunday to share series of serious concern over Sudha Bharadwaj’s health condition.
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