Convicts force prisoners to take part in protest

BANGALORE: The convicts of Parappana Agrahara Central Prison have been staging a protest for a  week now demanding early release on compassionate grounds. But it is learnt that some of those who took part in the protest reportedly did not come forward on their own but were forced by a few notorious convicts to join the protest.According to an official in the prison, a few notorious convicts sentenced to undergo life imprisonment are forcing those who are under short term imprisonment to take part in the protest. “The short term prisoners get released on a pre-determined date and they work to receive remission. They do not have any cause for protest. But they are also forced to protest by life convicts under threat of violence. There are around thirty short term convict prisoners working in the kitchen who have been abused into submission. Likewise there are around seven hundred short term prisoners who are also forced to sit on the strike,” the official explained.He also revealed that a group of thugs allegedly led by H R Shivakumar, a convict in a murder case, is forcing other convicts to join the protest. “Many of the inmates are patients who suffer from various ailments like ulcer, diabetes, hypertension, etc. But they are not even sparing them and their conditions were worsened because of these goons, who had locked the kitchen and prevented others from working. They have also assaulted a few who initially did not submit themselves to their threatening,” he added.It is also alleged that Shivakumar also threatens the jail officials of dire consequences and hurls filthy abuses at them. “Most prisoners do not approve of these tactics. These thugs are blackmailing the authorities and causing misery to all the prisoners. Even the jail officials have turned out to be mute spectators,” he said.The prison’s chief superintendent T H Lakshiminarayana confirmed this to The New Indian Express and said that measures have been taken to curb such activities in the prison. “We have brought it to the notice of our higher-ups and if the convicts continue forcing other inmates to join the protest, action will be initiated against them,” he said.