Email
Print
ShareMuslim inmates say theyare not given fruits to break fast during Ramzan
Muslim female prisoners in the Byculla jail allege authorities are not providing them with fruits necessary while breaking fast during Ramzan.
Prisoners are constitutionally allowed to fast and the authorities are required to provide fruits to the fasting prisoners. According to the prison manual, jail canteens should provide prisoners with fruits.
"Most of the time, fruits are not available in the canteen. When the fruits are available, they are so exorbitantly priced that none of the prisoners can afford to buy them," said Farida Bano. "Most prisoners are poor. They cannot afford to buy fruits from the prison canteen," Bano said.
Farkalid, a representative of the Jamait-e-ulma-e-hind, an NGO, said ithad volunteered to provide fruits, but it fell on deaf ears. "It has been more than a week since we gave an application to jail authorities, but they have not yet given us the permission," Farkalid said.
"No family members are allowed to give them fruits. There are many prisoners who have small children, some of them being infants. It is inhuman," Farkalid said. Rehana Shaikh, an undertrial, said often fruits were never available in the canteen. "Even if they are available, they will be rotten and not edible," she said. According to the prison manual, fasting prisoners should be provided with fruits at hours which they observe fast. The prison manual further says that such fruits should be provided to such
prisoners on state expenses.
"Even, the Supreme Court observed that if an NGO wants to distribute fruits to prisoners during festivals and on fasting days, they should be allowed to do so," a senior counsel said.Jail superintendent RC Kamble, however, denied the allegations and said he had not been approached by any NGO with a request to distribute fruits to the prisoners.
Kamble also refuted claims that fruits were not available in the prison canteen. "All fruits, required for fasting, are freely available in the canteen. The prisoners are can buy them. But we do not allow family members to provide fruits to prisoners for security reasons," Kamble said. The prison, exclusive for women, houses 1,000 prisoners, out of which 350 are Muslims.
