Afzal neglected in Tihar Jail? No expense records maintained

New Delhi, Sep 4: When on one hand, India spends over Rs 30 crores for the maintainence of 26/11 Mumbai attacker Ajmal Kasab, it is a sheer insult and injustice to Afzal Guru, who is not even taken care of by the Tihar jail authorities. According to the response of RTI, the Jail authorities have not maintained the accounts of expenditure incurred on ensuring safety of Mohammed Afzal Guru, facing gallows for his role in the December 13, 2001 Parliament attack.

"In this regards, it is informed that no separate record regarding expenditure on security, safety and food of an individual prisoner is maintained," the Public Information Officer in the Office of Director General of Prisons, Tihar Jail, said in the reply to RTI.

Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties had filed the RTI application seeking information as to how much money has been spent so far by the government on safety, security and food of Guru.

NGO's vice-president, Mukesh Kumar claimed every jail maintains record of expenditure about high profile convicts. The NGO in the appeal said, "As per our knowledge such high profile convicts are kept in special cells and records of every expenditure is maintained by the prison authorities.

One such best examples is Ajmal Kasab. The Maharashtra government has been maintaining records of expenditure on the safety and security of Pakistani militant. Infact, the 26/11 Mumbai attack convict is considered as India's most high-profile prisoner.

The NGO mentioned in its appeal that it requires the information regarding money spent on Guru's security to compare the expenditure made by different state police on similar convicts.

OneIndia News