Our jails are good enough for Vijay Mallya: Mumbai Jail
, Mumbai Mirror|
Oct 17, 2017, 01.49 PM IST
To counter Mallya’s claim that Indian jails lack facilities, State sends pictures of unit in Arthur Road jail, which once housed Ajmal Kasab.
Countering beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya’s contention that Indian jails are not good enough to house him, the state government has sent pictures of the unit no 12 of the Arthur Road jail which they feel has facilities equivalent to ones the ‘King of good times’ will find in a European prison barring an AC. Unit no 12 was specially constructed to house Ajmal Kasab, the lone militant caught alive for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
“We sent a report to the centre with all necessary documents to back our claim close to a month ago,” said B K Upadhyay, additional director general of police (Prisons).
While fighting the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) extradition request in a UK court, Mallya’s lawyer cited that his client needed special care and home cooked food as a diabetic. He also pointed to the poor condition of toilets in jail and lack of modern medical medical facilities in government-run hospitals.
Busting the lawyer’s arguments, the state home department has informed the Centre that as long as he is an undertrial, Mallya can have food delivered at the jail if he gets a court order to that effect. The jail manual applies only if he is convicted.
Prison authorities have also expressed willingness to construct a European-style toilet for his use. “In Arthur Road jail, we already provide European-style toilets for some convicts who are senior citizens. The unit no 12 has some commodes which were constructed for public prosecutors. We can let Mallya use this or construct a special one for him,” said a senior home department officer.
Unit no 12 has a total space for 12 prisoners and is currently home to NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, his nephew Pankaj and Peter Mukerjea, one of the accused in the Sheena Bora murder case.
“So there is no question of overcrowding. He wants European standards in the jail and we feel that we meet the standards. The report will be used in the extradition process when required,” said a senior home department officer.
Mallya fled to Hertfordshire in the UK in March 2016 after a consortium of 17 banks in India moved the Supreme Court to prevent him from leaving, accusing him of defaulting on loans worth more than Rs 9,000 crore given to his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines. He was arrested in London on an extradition warrant on April 18.
Countering beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya’s contention that Indian jails are not good enough to house him, the state government has sent pictures of the unit no 12 of the Arthur Road jail which they feel has facilities equivalent to ones the ‘King of good times’ will find in a European prison barring an AC. Unit no 12 was specially constructed to house Ajmal Kasab, the lone militant caught alive for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
“We sent a report to the centre with all necessary documents to back our claim close to a month ago,” said B K Upadhyay, additional director general of police (Prisons).
While fighting the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) extradition request in a UK court, Mallya’s lawyer cited that his client needed special care and home cooked food as a diabetic. He also pointed to the poor condition of toilets in jail and lack of modern medical medical facilities in government-run hospitals.
Busting the lawyer’s arguments, the state home department has informed the Centre that as long as he is an undertrial, Mallya can have food delivered at the jail if he gets a court order to that effect. The jail manual applies only if he is convicted.
Prison authorities have also expressed willingness to construct a European-style toilet for his use. “In Arthur Road jail, we already provide European-style toilets for some convicts who are senior citizens. The unit no 12 has some commodes which were constructed for public prosecutors. We can let Mallya use this or construct a special one for him,” said a senior home department officer.
Unit no 12 has a total space for 12 prisoners and is currently home to NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, his nephew Pankaj and Peter Mukerjea, one of the accused in the Sheena Bora murder case.
“So there is no question of overcrowding. He wants European standards in the jail and we feel that we meet the standards. The report will be used in the extradition process when required,” said a senior home department officer.
Mallya fled to Hertfordshire in the UK in March 2016 after a consortium of 17 banks in India moved the Supreme Court to prevent him from leaving, accusing him of defaulting on loans worth more than Rs 9,000 crore given to his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines. He was arrested in London on an extradition warrant on April 18.
