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Pondy prison inmates stage protest

Staff Reporter

`Jail Superintendent failed to give timely treatment to prisoners'

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

UP IN ARMS: Inmates of the Pondicherry central prison protesting on Wednesday against the jail superintendent for failing to provide timely treatment to prisoners who died after on Tuesday consuming liquor.

PONDICHERRY: The inmates of Pondicherry Central Prison on Wednesday protested in the prison seeking action against the Jail Superintendent for failing to give timely treatment to prisoners, who died after consuming `liquor.'

They shouted slogans against the Jail Superintendent and some prisoners refused to take breakfast and lunch.

Ramesh, a prisoner, who survived the `liquor tragedy' and now undergoing treatment in the General Hospital here alleged that the victims were taken to the hospital only after an hour. "After prisoners attend court proceedings, it is a common practice to throw bottles into the prison from the adjacent municipality building. There is an understanding between the prisoner and his friends or relatives, who come to the court. The bottles, thrown in yesterday, were not meant for the deceased," he told The Hindu .

"The cause of the death could be found out only after the medical report is submitted. As of now the only evidence is the liquor bottle that was found inside the prison," said a government official.

Meanwhile, the Government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident and suspended three wardens on duty. The Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy, told reporters that a retired judge of Pondicherry would go into the circumstances leading to the death of the prisoners.

"The retired judge would also look into the security lapses if any and how the liquor bottles came inside the prison," he said.

The CPI (M) said the party wanted the report to be made public. "Recently many inquiries have been conducted by the Government but no reports were made public or placed before the Assembly. At least the Government should make public the findings of the prison incident," V. Perumal, CPI(M) general secretary, said. It is learnt that the Government decided to speed up the work of the new prison at Kalapet.

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