Maharashtra News: Nagpur DIG Prison Seeks 4-Week Extension To Investigate Complaint Against Amravati Jail Superintendent

Nagpur: The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Prisons, East Nagpur, has sought a four-week extension to submit a fact-finding report in a case involving allegations of illegal employment of prisoners by the Superintendent of Amravati Central Jail.

The matter, currently under the consideration of the Commission, involves a complaint that accuses the Superintendent of allegedly wrongfully employing five open-category prisoners at his residence and in the garden area within the boundary wall of his official bungalow.

The complainant has cited CCTV footage as potential evidence and referred to specific provisions of the Maharashtra Prison Manual, 1979—namely, Chapter XXII, Section 1, Rule 8(ii) and Rule 27—which clearly prohibit the use of prisoners for private work by prison officials.

As per the prison manual, Rule 8(ii) states: “It shall be the duty of the Superintendent to see that the percentage of prison servants and convict officers or overseers is maintained, and that no prisoner is employed for private work by anyone except in accordance with these rules.”, while

Rule 27 further affirms: “No prisoner shall be employed by the officers and the staff of prison for private work at their residence and in the gardens attached thereto.”

The Commission has taken note of a letter dated January 27, 2025, from the Deputy Superintendent at the DIG Prison Office in Nagpur, requesting additional time to complete the inquiry. In response, the Commission granted the extension and directed the DIG to thoroughly examine CCTV footage of the area mentioned in the complaint and to consider the quoted prison rules during the course of the inquiry.

In a connected matter, the same complaint was initially forwarded to the Commission by Chief District and Sessions Judge of Amravati, Shri M.R. Deshpande. The application had been discovered in a complaint box during a surprise inspection of the jail by District Judge-6, Amravati. The complainant also raised concerns about the undignified procedures prisoners are subjected to during the entry search process.

The Commission has directed the DIG Prison to investigate both issues and to submit a consolidated report. As both parties were absent during the latest hearing, the Commission has scheduled the next date of hearing May 21.