Swati Sathe shatters stereotypes from within prison walls

Her home address reads Arthur Road Jail and her immediate neighbours are hard-bitten criminals, but that’s the nature of the job

MUMBAI: When Swati Sathe first donned her uniform as a jailor in 1995, her colleagues mocked her, prisoners sniggered and others wrote her off. But having proved her mettle in her 13-year long career, she now holds one of the most vied for and challenging posts in India — she is in charge of the infamous Arthur Road Jail.

As the prison’s senior superintendent, 40-year-old Sathe is respected as a no-nonsense person who effectively squashed the corrupt practices rampant among inmates.

Her fascination with the crime world began when she was pursuing a Master’s degree in criminology and correctional administration at Nagpur University in 1990. Her interaction with juvenile delinquents and prisoners triggered off an interest, and Sathe decided to pursue her career in prison administration — an unheard choice for a woman in those days. Slowly and steadily, she rose up the ladder, shrugging off her initial inhibition.
 
Sathe boasts of being the first woman jail superintendent in India, with a background in prison administration. Ask her what the most satisfying part of her job is, and pat comes the reply: “To see a prisoner benefit through the reform and rehabilitation programmes,” That, she says, is the ultimate reward.

But success always comes at a price. And like the inmates, Sathe, too, lives a life of seclusion — she resides in the officer quarters, which is located within the prison premises.
 
She took over the running of Arthur Road prison in 2002, and it was no cakewalk. She plugged the holes in the system, particularly where the henchmen of gangsters like Chota Rajan were concerned. As a sign of retaliation, two of the don’s henchmen, opened fire outside her office in the prison. One of her subordinates was injured in the attack.

Refusing to bow down to the gang wars, Sathe did not take the easy way out and resign. “The incident did not scare me. In fact, it strengthened my resolve and prepared me to tackle the challenges that lay ahead,” she recalls.

It’s difficult to imagine the daughter of a scientist and mother of a teenaged girl run a prison as daunting as Arthur Road. But, then, Sathe’s life is no ordinary one — she shatters stereotypes with élan and ease. When she is not tackling hardened criminals and enforcing law and order, Sathe takes refuge in books and films - comedies are her favourite. “I love to hang out with friends and meet like-minded people. It helps me stay in touch with the real world,” she says.

Her alternate choice of career, she says, would have been social work helping women and children. “I’ve always wanted to serve the society. Even in my current job, I try my best to help the prisoners — they are human beings, too,” she says.

Sathe ensures that her job does not come in the way of spending quality time with her family. Her day beings at 5.30am where she quickly finishes household chores.

And, as her daughter will be sitting for her Board exams this year, Sathe keeps abreast with her studies. Her daughter wants to become a scientist like her grandfather. “It’s too early for her to make a career decision. I want her to explore her options and enjoy her job,” says Sathe.

She is extremely protective of her daughter who has visited the ‘other side’ only once. “I always tell her to stay away from bad habits and bad company,” she says.

Though Sathe believes in the here and the now, she dreams of starting her own NGO when she retires, and being associated with organisations where she can use her on-field experience. “But before that, I want to just sleep for a month and rest,” she chuckles, giving a rare glimpse of the child, which is still alive in her.

“The hectic nature of the job does bog you down sometimes, but I’m not complaining. I’ve chosen my career and I have no regrets,” she says.

s_poornima@dnaindia.net