Kolkata prison inmate attempts suicide, critical

Kolkata, Sep 24 (IANS) An inmate of Presidency Central Correctional Home in south Kolkata, who has been awarded capital punishment, is critical after attempting suicide in his cell, sources said here on Saturday.

Rais Qureshi (50) has been admitted to the trauma care unit in state-run SSKM Medical College & Hospital, where his condition is stated to be critical.

On Friday night, Qureshi stabbed himself more than once in his cell. The matter came to the notice of the warden and security guards of the correctional home. The guards quickly entered the cell, snatched away the sharp weapons, rescued him and shifted him to the hospital. Qureshi was awarded death sentence on charges of murder of four persons.

Following this development, certain questions are being raised, the first being on how a sharp weapon of that nature reached the cell of capital punishment awarded prisoner, who is supposed to kept under maximum security. The second question is obviously on the reasons that prompted Qureshi to take such a drastic step. However, the state correction services department officials so far have refused to pass any comment on the development. The cops of the local Hastings Police Station have started a probe in the matter.

On September 21, seven undertrials attempted mass suicide by drinking phenyl and detergent liquid in Vadodara Central Correctional Home in Gujarat. Although the local police said that the reason behind the development is yet to be ascertained, one of the correction home inmates, Harsh Limbachiya alleged that the jail authorities had stopped their tiffin services and were demanding bribes to restore it. He also alleged that they were not allowed to go out of the barracks and food is not served to jail inmates on time.