If you beat, we won’t eat: Sabarmati inmates

Infuriated by the inhuman treatment meted out to prisoners, some 48 inmates of the Sabarmati Central Jail reportedly went on an indefinite hunger strike on Wednesday.

The prisoners went on strike after two inmates of the Sabarmati jail, Younis Sareswala and Hazi Farooq, were allegedly clobbered by the jail staff. Sources said that the prisoners have also submitted a written application to the jail authorities informing them about their protest.

According to sources, Sareswala and Farooq, both booked under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota), were on their way to the visitor’s room to meet their relatives.

However, the jail officials are alleged to have stopped Sareswala from meeting his mother. When Sareswala and Farooq retaliated, they were badly beaten up by the jail staff. The incident is believed to have occurred at around 11 am on Wednesday.

Although no formal complaint has been filed with regard to the incident, sources said that the prisoners were later on medically treated in the jail hospital. However, jail authorities have refused to confirm the incident.