Raju (name changed), a 19-year-old boy, was acquitted in a murder case two months ago. “Boys inside the jail fight mostly because of tobacco. They all want to smoke and chew tobacco, and for this they can do anything. They can smuggle it inside by hiding in their stomach or other body cavities, or can fight with someone if they don’t get it,” he said.
He said that most of the fights in jail happen because of tobacco.
“Inmates have told the jail authorities many times to make tobacco available inside the jail to stop crime. They also said that if they just got tobacco, none of the drugs like heroine, cocaine and hash would be smuggled inside. But the authorities never agree to this because they are making a lot of money by smuggling tobacco to prisoners.”
“Senior officials do not even get to know that their juniors like constables and head constables are supplying all kinds of drugs inside the jail,” he said.
“The jail is also a place for unexpected violence. I was the victim of a blade attack once (a deep scar on his left cheek is an ever-present reminder of the event). I remember bleeding profusely. It was after 8 p.m. and we were locked up. I started screaming but the jail staff took almost 30 minutes to give me medical care,” he said.
