Independent journalist Rupesh is getting threats in jail, family members allege

Write a letter to the Inspector General of Jails of Bihar demanding appropriate action.

Published on: 15 Apr 2024, 4:43 pm

Patna. The family members of independent journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh , lodged in Shaheed Jubba Sahni Central Jail located in Bhagalpur, Bihar, have accused him of harassment in the jail. In this regard, his wife Ipsa Shatakshi has written a letter to the Inspector General of Jail in which she has requested for immediate intervention in the matter.

It is noteworthy that Rupesh Kumar Singh was brought from Beur Jail to Martyr Jubba Sahni Central Jail on January 23, 2024. In this way, he has been here for a total of three months. Rupesh’s case is going on in the NIA court of Patna.

Ipsa Shatakshi has written in her letter that “I met him on April 11, 2024 in Shaheed Jubba Sahni Central Jail Bhagalpur and what he told me is extremely derogatory and worrying”.

According to Ipsa, Rupesh told them that recently there was a raid inside the jail, the jail gate was not even open when the cellmaster Murari Kumar Singh started abusing the matter of taking out the things. Threatened that ‘I will beat you so much…’

When I protested against such derogatory remarks, he got into a fight with my husband, Jamadar and other constables intervened, but no action was taken by the jail administration on the misbehavior of the chamberlain, Rupesh asked to meet the jailer or the superintendent to complain. Tried but could not find him till 11th April. Ipsa said.

He further said – “The prisoner application form is not even available in the jail. The application was made on ordinary paper, even after submitting the application till April 11, the Superintendent was not received. It is a matter of great concern that he is being threatened to be killed inside the jail. Their self-esteem is being hurt by abusing them. This threat has made me suspicious as to what incident might happen to them.”

Ipsa said that since my husband Rupesh Kumar Singh has been a journalist by profession, and his reporting has focused on labourers, poor and needy people, he has had a respectable position in the society, even at present he is an undertrial, but never Such abuses and threats have not been given to him. As far as I understand, our Constitution does not advocate attacking anyone’s self-respect, being a criminal or an accused and determining the punishment for that is a different thing. Does anyone become liable to humiliation just because he is a prisoner?

She further said, Sir, I also want to tell you that my husband has been suffering from eye problems for a long time, I had also seen the difference in the color of his eyes in the last meeting due to which I was very worried and had also told him to consult a doctor, Rupesh said. When he was shown in the jail hospital and camp, the doctor referred him to Mayaganj, but his eyes have not been shown yet.

According to Ipsa, her husband told that there are no facilities in the jail, it seems that she will not be shown until she loses her eyesight. He told that even in the food items, nothing is available as per the jail manual, a lot of cuts are being made here. Milk, meat, eggs are not available here, cheese is also half the quantity of jail manual.

drinking water contaminated

He said that since the appointment day is once in 9 days, and the talk on STD is only for five minutes, twice in 10 days. But it is also not certain that the conversation will take place, call never comes and sometimes no voice is heard, in such a situation the news about his health will not be received for nine days, in such a situation the threat of death by the room keeper of the place where he is kept is scary. . This is not only mental harassment but also a violation of human rights.

He has written at the end of the letter that he requests Sir with great hope that such harassment inside the jail should be stopped. Positive initiatives should be taken for my husband’s safety, health and proper eating habits.

There is hope and expectation that there will be a ban on abuse, beating or any kind of harassment of all prisoners inside the jail. Appropriate steps will be taken for this.

Here, the complaint letter sent by EPSA to the Chief Minister’s Office has been forwarded to the Home Department for appropriate action.