NEW DELHI: According to a recent United Nations report, India is home to 23.4 per cent of the world’s hungry, and almost 190 million people don’t get sufficient food to survive in this country. But in Tihar Jail, the biggest prison in Asia, high-profile inmates are served dry fruits and energy drinks, which are “prescribed” by Unani and Ayurveda doctors. The goodies include dates, almonds and protein shakes.
A recent investigation by the Tihar Jail administration found that the doctors-inmates nexus has been ongoing for many years. The administration has issued a notice to review diets of the inmates. Doctors who prescribed dry fruits and energy drinks are under the scanner.
“It has come to notice that the department of Unani/Ayurveda and other medical units are prescribing dry fruits and other supplements to prisoners lodged in high security wards as well as general wards without taking concurrence of the RMO/Jail Superintendents despite the fact that the possession/consumption of these items is otherwise not allowed for the prisoners lodged in Delhi Prisons,” said a jail circular issued on Friday, accessed by The Sunday Standard.
The high security ward has underworld don Chota Rajan, Bihar criminal-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin, Delhi’s very own Dawood, Neeraj Bawania, and others as inmates. According to the documents, Bawania was prescribed 5-6 dates and 4-5 almonds every day for “memory loss”.
Similarly, convicts of the Jigisha Murder case Ravi Kapoor and Amit Shukla were also given dry fruits and protein shakes with milk everyday. Kapoor was getting ProteinX, which helps build muscles. Shukla was prescribed 4-5 almonds and dates everyday by Unani doctors.