NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday said that Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain has moved a petition in the CBI seeking appropriate directions to the DG Prison and Superintendent Tihar Central Prison to provide him basic food items as per his religious beliefs as well as provide him access to medical facilities in the jail.CBI
The party, in a statement, said that Jain has argued that a prisoner does not cease to remain a human being even after punishment and that he is currently under trial and as thus cannot be made to starve, relinquish his religious beliefs and be denied basic medical conditions.
He has further argued that the restriction on liberty imposed by law does not take away the right to life, health and dignity enshrined under the Constitution and that he is entitled to basic human rights behind bars.
The party said that Jain had to move to court after the jail authorities refused to act upon his application on these requests. The party alleged that from the last 12 days, the jail administration has stopped providing Jain with basic food items as per his religious belief. The statement said that Jain is on religious fast for the last six months because he was relying on consumption of uncooked fruits/vegetables, mixed seeds, dry fruits and dates in the jail.
“For last almost six months, he has been surviving only on fruits, vegetables, seeds and dry fruits or dates. This he was purchasing from his own quota of ration available to all inmates. In the meantime, he has suffered a major fall in jail which led to a severe spine injury, for which he was treated by LNJP Hospital. He also has lung patches, which is a post-Covid symptom,” the application claimed.
The application added that stopping food items during the religious fast was ‘illegal’, ‘arbitrary’ and amounted to ‘harassment’. The Jail Administration has stopped providing him with fruits/vegetables, mixed seeds, dry fruits and dates. He is being starved by the jail authorities and is not being given sustenance or nutrition to even sustain his well-being,” it further added.
‘No food items as per his believes from 12 days’
The party alleged that from the last 12 days, the jail administration has stopped providing Jain with basic food items as per his religious belief. The statement said that Jain is on religious fast for the last six months because he was relying on consumption of uncooked fruits/vegetables, mixed seeds, dry fruits and dates in the jail.