MAHENDRANAGAR, March 5: The District Prison of Kanchapur, which lies in the district headquarters Mahendranagar, is currently holding more than double the number of inmates than its capacity. This has compelled the prisoners to spend their jail term in pathetic living condition.
According to Jailer Shyam Raj Bhatta, the number of inmates has increased significantly in the recent days. The prison has the capacity of accommodating altogether 95 inmates including 75 males and 20 females. However, there are 257 occupants and three children in the prison at present. As informed by Jailer Bhatta, 50 among the 257 inmates are kept there under judicial custody.
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As per the details provided by the prison, 70 inmates have been jailed on charge rape or other kinds of sexual assaults, 61 are charged with attempt to murder, 25 for human trafficking, 15 for drug abuse, 18 for theft, 13 for smuggling of wildlife among others. The increasing number of inmates shows the increasing rate of crime in the country, according to Jailer Bhatta.
As the prison was built more than 40 years ago, it is currently in a dilapidated state. "Living in overcrowded prison has been torturous for the inmates,” said Bhatta, adding, "We have time and again demanded the Department of Prison Management for a new prison." He informed that the department is planning to build a prison with a capacity of 500 occupants.
One of the inmates, Ananata Joshi, informed that the inmates are obliged to compromise on everything including sleeping, or using toilets and even for food. "The condition is so bad that three people are using the service meant for one," said Joshi, adding, "It's the women who are suffering more than anyone else."
As many as 15 inmates in Kanchanpur District Prison are Indian nationals. The District Court of Kanchanpur has convicted 13 of them for various crimes while two of them have been kept under judicial custody. Most of the jailed Indian nationals are the locals of border areas.
