One might think some celebrations are going on inside the Vellore Central Prison. Inmates happy, officials all friendly—a jolly, hurry-burry world. But no, these are all part of damage control bid of the staff as the CB-CID officials were set to visit the prison in the recent torture case, to inspect the closed prisoner block, where the victim was housed. The block, which generally remains in a dilapidated condition, was cleaned by the staff, allegedly to erase any potential evidence. Also, the senior official, who is the suspect, changed his entire character overnight—he is very cordial with the prisoners! It is alleged that officials are forcing the inmates to give testimonials in favour of the prison, and are even seeking help from their batchmates to escape the situation.
Respect the chair
The ‘disappearing chairs’ of Krishnagiri Collectorate are the new talk of the town. The portico had nine chairs, in which policemen, public, government drivers and others used to sit. A few weeks ago, someone who sat on one of these chairs allegedly did not get up as ‘a token of respect’ when a district-level official passed him, following which the chairs were removed. Though a few chairs returned over the days, six are still missing. The public even alleged that some officials in the collectorate do not let people to sit in front of them inside the office room while giving petitions. Those seats are reserved for ‘important people’ like politicians.
Beauty or duty?
Beauty over safety is the new motto of some Coimbatore City Corporation officials. When asked about the lack of fencing between the walking track and Vangankulam, a corporation official in charge argued that it is the latest design and that if a fence is installed, the beauty of the design will be spoiled. However, another official senior to him said that the design had flaws and that she had already advised the subordinate to change the design as there was a risk of accidents. The senior official even requested the reporter to publish it as news, not just to correct the design but also the officials like her junior.
(Contributed by -Rajalakshmi Sampath, S Sivaguru & R Kirubakaran; compiled by Sneha Joseph)