HIV 'terrorist' rattles Tihar

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HIV 'terrorist' rattles Tihar

Ravi Bajpai, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, July 30, 2007

The high-security Tihar Jail's authorities are known to handle

hardened criminals and terrorists, but a much less serious offender

is allegedly giving top prison officials sleepless nights these days,

say jail sources.

An HIV-positive undertrial, 24-year-old Ranjit (name changed), has

been reportedly terrorising inmates and demanding undue liberties

from prison officials by threatening he would spread the deadly

disease, a prison official said.

On being contacted, Sunil Gupta, Tihar's law officer, said, " Yes,

some instances have come to our notice where HIV-positive prisoners

are causing problems for jail authorties by flouting rules. "

A jail official said, " He asks for better food and stays outdoors

even after 7 pm, the time after which prisoners are supposed to get

inside their barracks. Officials fear going near him since he

threatens to beat them up and spread the disease. "

Tihar has over 13,500 prisoners (about 83 per cent undertrials),

including high-profile and hardcore criminals. Of these, 40 are HIV

positive but their medical condition is not revealed to give them

an `equal' status inside the prison, said the official.

Ranjit is reportedly lodged in Jail Number 4. Arrested from Sarojini

Nagar, he reportedly has eight cases of attempt to murder, attempt to

commit culpable homicide, robbery, dacoity and assault against him.

He was lodged in Tihar in February 2004, said the official.

Last month, he allegedly refused to get inside his barrack on time

and warded off junior jail official by threatening to slash his

wrists and touch his body with theirs. The jail superintendent

reportedly had to intervene to sort out the problem. " The jail

management's biggest challenge is to handle terrorists, high-profile

prisoners and other sensitive inmates. I guess jail officials will

now also have to be trained in handling cases where patients take

advantage of their illness to act on their whims and fancies, " said

Sunil Gupta.

Ranjit has allegedly been involved in such cases before too. In June

last year, he sneaked out of his ward in the night and threatened a

prison guard on being caught, said the official. A few months

earlier, while on his way to Patiala House Court in a van, he asked a

police official for a cigarette and banged his head against the van

on being refused, said the official.

" This is his usual modus operandi. Despite repeated offences, we

cannot take any solid action against him since jail rules allow us

only to reprimand convicts, " said the official.

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