Prison authorities turn down Trinamool minister’s plea for pillow, bedsheet, cellphone

Kolkata, Nov 14 (IANS) The authorities at the Presidency Jail in Kolkata, where West Bengal minister Jyotipriya Mallick is serving judicial custody in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution case, have turned down the latter's plea for a pillow, bedsheet and mobile phone. 

Sources in the correctional services department said that Forest Minister Mallick, who was earlier the Food & Supplies Minister from 2011-2021, was shifted to jail late on Sunday evening from the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

“From Monday onwards, he started making demands for a pillow, bedsheet and a mobile phone. However, he has been informed on Tuesday that as per prison manuals, the items demanded by him cannot be provided to any inmate, and an exception can't be made in his case,” an official said.

However, following his repeated requests for some reading material, he has been provided with a book on the life of Shree Ramakrishna Paramahansa. 

Department officials said that the same book was also provided to former Education Minister Patha Chatterjee, who is also serving judicial custody in the same ward of the prison for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore cash for school jobs case.

Chatterjee happens to an alumnus of the Ramakrishna Mission School at Narendrapur in South 24 Parganas district. 

It may be recalled that prison authorities had earlier attracted the ire of the court for allowing Chatterjee to wear a ring while in judicial custody, which was again a breach of prison manuals.

However, Mallick is being provided with special diet as prescribed by the doctors considering his diabetic condition.

--IANS

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