After attempts to reach Nagpur prison authorities on phone, disabled professor GN Saibaba’s wife Vasantha Kumari on Tuesday - a day before the professor has resolved to go on hunger strike against denial of amenities in prison, wrote another letter to the jail superintendent seeking intervention.
She had previously written a letter last Friday and requested the jail superintendent to give him basic rights as a prisoner to prevent him from going on the strike from October 21.
In Tuesday’s letter addressed to the jail superintendent, Vasantha Kumari wrote that she is writing to him urgently requesting him to intervene and act accordingly to prevent Saibaba from going on the strike.
“He (Saibaba) has not been getting proper medicine for the past few months and no permanent trained helpers equipped to deal with his medical needs (as prescribed by the doctors at Government Medical College, Nagpur) have been appointed. According to the doctors, he requires daily physiotherapy, which has never been provided to him. Moreover, he was extremely aggrieved when he heard that certain letters and books that I have sent to him withheld and will not be ever given to him,” the letter read.
“As you are aware, he used to teach at Delhi University and reading books has been his lifelong passion. Please do not deprive him of books we send, all of which are popular books published by publishers of high repute,” it said.
Kumari said further in her letter that she had written through a speed post to her husband to prevent him from taking the step of going on the strike and requested the superintendent to arrange an emergency phone call between his family and him so that they can convince him against it.
The Committee for the Defence and Release of Dr. GN Saibaba in a letter to the jail authority released to the press, said that they wish to draw his attention to the fact that prison is more a part of correctional administration and not a punishing place. The Committee through its Chairman Prof. Hargopal said the professor’s legitimate demands should be resolved.
The Superintendent of Nagpur Central Jail Anup Kumar Kumre had earlier refuted allegations and said all letters, books and medicines are being given to him and nothing is being confiscated by them.
