<b>Sabarmati Jail becomes abode to high, mighty

Sabarmati Jail becomes abode to high, mighty Sunday, June 17, 2001

By Sonal Kellogg
Ahmedabad, June 15: Besides housing the routine criminals, the Sabarmati Central Jail also houses many people of considerable reputation. Currently the jail houses as many as 78 builders who are here on judicial custody.

It is also a temporary abode for the males of the Choksi family, where father Naresh K Choksi, and sons Prashant N Choksi and Jignesh N Choksi, allegedly involved in the classic gold bullion scam are in judicial custody.

The jail also has Mr Suresh Ghadecha, a relative of the Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Mr Dhirubhai Shah, for the Classic Bank gold bullion fraud. Another name of note is Suresh Aggrawal, owner of Vaishali Silk Palace, who allegedly murdered his girlfriend.

They live along with the 1,193 convicts and about 1,000 odd undertrails housed at the Sabarmati Central Jail sharing the same amenities accorded to all undertrails. Incidentally, undertrails have more privileges than the convicts do.

They can use their own beds, own clothes, get food from their house and get newspaper from their homes. So they are relatively better off than the convicts housed there. But Senior Jailor, A B Makwana, said the builders and other high profile prisoners are the most unhappy lot here, though we make all possible efforts to give them the best according to the rules.

But he said that all they want is bail and get out of the prison. After the builders complained of the heat and inadequate facilities, the jail authorities installed more fans in the barracks to increase the airflow.

But Mr Makwana said that for someone used to air conditioners, mere fans would not serve the purpose. Many builders are over 50 years and suffer from various health ailments like blood pressure and heart problems.

Mr Bagadiya, a builder jailed after he surrendered at Paldi police station has developed hernia and prostrate problem after being jailed. He has been taken to the civil hospital on several occasions and has to be hospitalised for his heart problem at the civil hospital.

His wife Sehmida Bagadiya said that though he is sick he is always handcuffed and roped when taken to the hospital. Mr Suresh Patel who is a member of the Builders Association said that even though undertrails should not be handcuffed the builders are handcuffed whenever they are taken to the court or anywhere else.

It was only after they appealed to the Human Rights Commission that they stopped handcuffing them when they are taken outside the jail. All the families of the arrested are facing acute problems due to the arrests of their menfolk.

Many children of builders refuse to go to school because of the peer pressure and fearing ridicule from their friends. Wives of all the builders are at their wits end trying to cope with social pressures. All of the builders and their family members hope that they will be granted bail and will get out soon.
News Source : The AsianAge Ahmedabad Edition [ The coolest Newspaper for city ]

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