Granted special class prisoner status on Friday, the brothers (Ramalingam Raju and his brother) will now get cots, pillows, mattresses, sheets, mosquito nets, a separate kitchen and toilet, jail sources said. The facilities go beyond bare necessities. ‘‘They can get newspapers and can smoke cigarettes or cigars if they wish to. They can also eat meat and fish everyday provided it is brought by their family members,’’ the source said. Apart from separate cots, pillows, mattresses, toilet, kitchen, there are other privileges that the Rajus can ask for. (Err! how about couple of nice women in the night?).
‘Like if they ask for a colour TV, it is the duty of the state government to provide it,’’ one official said. (Duty of the State Government to provide?- my foot)
The only facility they are denied is access to a telephone.
A Hyderabad lower court granted special class prisoner status to the Rajus few days ago. However, the order asked the Hyderabad collector, under whose jurisdiction Chanchalguda falls, to certify that the Rajus were used to a high lifestyle and should be accorded the same while in jail. After the collector certified the lifestyle, the court issued the orders which reached the jail on Friday afternoon. (So does it mean that if a criminal is not used to a high life style, he is not entitled for all these? So do we have one set of rules for the rich and one set of rules for the poor? I thought the detention was based on Crime and not ones status.)
This is democracy at its best!
