The Hindu : Other States / Pondicherry News : Prisoners demand relaxation of visitor entry rules

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Saturday, Dec 25, 2004

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Prisoners demand relaxation of visitor entry rules

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, DEC. 24. Over 100 prisoners in the Pondicherry Central Prison are on a hunger fast demanding that prison officials relax entry rules for visitors.

The prisoners, who have been on fast since Thursday morning, are also demanding better facilities.

Three convicts--Muthuraman, Ranganathan and Rajkannu--all aged above 55 years have been hospitalised on the advice of the prison's medical officer.

On Friday afternoon, some of the relatives of the fasting prisoners who came to visit them sat on a dharna outside the prison on Jawaharlal Nehru Street causing tension. The Grand Bazaar police asked the visitors not to hinder the free traffic flow. The relatives were demanding that they be let inside to meet the prisoners.

"According to the Pondicherry Prison Rules, we cannot allow prisoners, who are not conducting themselves properly inside the premises. Hence we have not allowed any visitor for those who are fasting. But we have allowed visitors for the others", Chief Superintendent of the Jail, Subramanian, told The Hindu .

The problem started after Mr. Subramanian made a sudden check of the interview forms, which has names and personal details of visitors on December 22. He found that prison rules stipulating that convicts can have visitors once in a fortnight and under-trials once a week, had not been followed.

He then asked visiting relatives not to come very often but only on the stipulated days, which the prisoners objected to.

Following this, they started their hunger fast.

The prison has a total of 244 prisoners, which includes 97 convicts and 154 under-trials, of these initially 120 prisoners went on the fast. On the persuasion of jail officials 8 prisoners retracted their fast and had lunch on Friday.

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