Lucknow: On Dec 3, 2013, it was business as usual for Devi Dubey, who worked at a small electronics goods shop in Lucknow's Alambagh.
A customer, Santosh Tiwari, reached the shop and had a heated exchange of words with Devi Dubey over some trivial issue. Things took a turn for the worse when Tiwari whipped out a pistol and trained it at Dubey.
A scuffle ensued in which Dubey snatched the pistol and opened fire on Tiwari in a fit of rage. Tiwari died on the spot. Dubey was awarded life imprisonment in 2018 and was lodged in Lucknow jail.
Eleven years on since the incident, Devi Dubey, now 51, is not known as a murder convict but has earned the moniker of ‘Vishwakarma' (Hindu god of craftsmanship) for plethora of skills like painting, drawing, cooking, pottery, fixing electrical gadgets and repairing vehicles.
Dubey is a jack-of-all-trades, and his fellow inmates admire him for his skill as well as his willingness to help others.
Dubey used his time in prison to develop his skills and contribute as a valuable member in the prison.
Dubey can be spotted fabricating objects out of iron by hot and cold forging on an anvil, like an ironsmith. Another prisoner, who did not wish to be named, sits next to him, learning the craft from the master.
Talking to TOI, Dubey says: "I was not born a ‘Vishwakarma', as they call me. It was my urge to learn something new that made me the most sought-after man in the jail."
"I want to forget how I landed here. It was initially difficult to stay in prison. I felt like ending my life. I had nobody to talk to. My wife and daughter could not come daily to meet me. I felt it would have been better had I shot myself that day," he says, as tears rolled down his eyes.
"It was a rainy night in Aug 2013 when electricity was disrupted in jail due to sudden sparking. I stepped in and repaired the fault, as I had some knowledge about it," he recalls.
Since then, he has been studying on his own. He spends time reading books and asking questions from workers who come from outside the prison.
He has learned how to repair other items, cook, garden, do pottery, draw, repair electric motors, fix vehicles, and even do stitching and plumbing. He also teaches various skills to other prisoners, including electronic gadget repair, plumbing, drawing, and clay modelling.
"It is all due to the blessings of Lord Shiva. I have been worshipping the Lord daily since I was five. My day starts with him and ends with him. He guided me when there was darkness all around," Dubey says.
"Whatever money I get, I ensure that it is spent on the education of my daughter, who has now passed high school. I intend that she studies further. I have my own house in Alambagh. My father, Deena Nath Dubey, retired as a guard in Railways. He passed away in 1999," he says. His wife, Ruchi Dubey, says that she is proud of her husband and wants her daughter to become an officer.
"Devi Dubey is the most disciplined, responsible prisoner in jail. Whenever we need help for anything, we do not depend on outsiders but our own ‘Vishwakarma'," says Ashish Tiwari, senior jail superintendent, Lucknow.
"Devi is sharp and active and maintains an atmosphere of peace among the prisoners with his hymns showering praises on every religion. He plays an active role in maintaining decorum inside the jail," says another officer.
"These days jail officials are busy installing a high mast light which has been repaired by Dubey. The repair cost of a single light costs Rs 10,000-15,000. His mere presence solves all problems," a jail official says.