Bhubaneswar: Close on the heels of the raids on jails in Bolangir revealing the underbelly of the prisons in the state, Soumyakant Mohanty, an undertrial prisoner, was attacked in Jharpada jail in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. In a statement to the police, Soumya has accused gangster Haidar’s son Munna and his gang of attacking him.
According to reports, Soumya sustained deep injuries on his head. He has been admitted to the Capital Hospital.
Trouble began for Soumya after he wrote a letter to the Bhubaneswar District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) a few days ago. In that letter, Soumya wrote about the hellish conditions prevailing inside the prison, including the sale and use of marijuana. He also wrote that the prisoners had to cough up ‘exorbitant fees’ of around Rs 50,000 to get proper accommodation facilities, Rs 5,000 for telephone, Rs 10,000 per month for meetings with outsiders, and additional money for cooler inside the cells and good food.
After receiving the letter, DLSA members visited the jail on Saturday. During the raid, they seized mobile phones and drug paraphernalia. All the materials were confiscated by the Laxmisagar police. Soumya was attacked a day after the visit by the DLSA and it is alleged that Muna, the son of gangster Hyder, who is lodged in the same jail, and his accomplices attacked him.
Soumya has, meanwhile, lodged a complaint with the police.
