Probe ordered into special treatment to Kalmadi
Source: The Sangai Express / (PTI/Agencies)
New Delhi, July 02 2011:
Tihar prison authorities on Saturday ordered an inquiry into reports claiming that sacked CWG organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi is getting special treatment inside the jail premises.
Jail superintendent SC Bharadwaj, in whose room Kalmadi was reportedly found having tea by inspecting trial court judge Brijesh Kumar Garg during a surprise visit to the jail on June 30, has also been transferred to Port Blair but the officials said it was not related to the alleged incident.
"The officer-in-charge of Vigilance Dinesh Gandhi will carry out the inquiry and submit a report within 48 hours," deputy inspector general (Prisons) RN Sharma said after a meeting of all jail superintendents this afternoon where they were apparently pulled up over the reports.
Kalmadi, an accused in Commonwealth Games scams, is lodged in Jail No.4 of Tihar Prisons since May.
"Bharadwaj was not relieved from his position on Friday because of the incident.
His transfer orders have been given to him over a month ago and he was due to go on Friday," Sharma said.
"We have ordered an inquiry into the matter and in another 48 hours we can explain the whole matter.
We do not have access to the report (by Garg) till now but based on the inquiry report we will take action against the erring jail official," Sharma said.
The DIG said, "The inspecting trial court judge had visited us on Thursday and was present in the jail superintendent's room.
Kalmadi too was waiting there for the van to take him to the hospital.
Then tea arrived and Kalmadi too was offered.
Other than this, we have no knowledge of any special treatment being given to him" .
He also denied allegations of prisoners strolling around from one jail to another.
"Whatever allegations of wrong doings inside the prison have been made, the truth would be known once the inquiry report is out.
We have held a meeting of all jail superintendents and taken up the issue with them," the DIG said.
In a report to the district and sessions judge, Garg said he was "surprised to see Kalmadi, who is in judicial custody in connection with the Time-Scoring-Result contract scam, was sitting with jail superintendent Bharadwaj and was enjoying tea/coffee and biscuits/namkeen" .
When Garg, an additional district judge, asked why Kalmadi was there, he was told that the sacked CWG organizer was waiting for the van to take him to the hospital.
The jail superintendent, however, failed to explain the tea and snacks.
The superintendent has been asked to submit the entire record of medical treatment given to Kalmadi, along with details of his visits to hospitals.
The report also states that during the inspection, cells of the accused in "various scams related to CWG, 2G spectrum and Nalco" were not locked.
Garg, however, noted that at the time of inspection, the accused were all present in their respective cells.
"During the inspection, it was observed that none of the jail officials was expecting the visit (of the judge) during the summer vacations and all the high profile accused were being given undue liberty by the jail authorities for reasons best known to them," Garg's report said.
Old inmates were not left out of the "special treatment" either.
Vikas Yadav and Vishal Yadav, serving a life term for the murder of Nitish Katara, were found enjoying a stroll.
"Vishal Yadav and Vikas Yadav were roaming around in the garden of the jail, beyond permitted time," the report said, adding that the jail superintendent was unable to give any explanation.
Garg concluded, "It appears that the jail authorities were having two sets of norms, one for the high profile undertrial prisoners and convicts and the other for the remaining UTPs and convicts.
It appears that the high profile accused and convicts were thoroughly enjoying their stints at the Central Jail Number 4, courtesy the jail officials" .
Comment
