Undertrials begin hunger strike following harassment

Mysore, Mar 26 (UNI) About 200 undertrials of the Central Prison here began a hunger stike from last night alleging harassment by the jail authorities.

Talking to newspersons here today, Jail Superintendent Veerabhadraswamy said the undertrials began the protest last night and were locked up in the barracks.

Mr Veerabhadraswamy said the undertrials were insisting on allowing food to be brought from their houses, which was against the prision rules. They refused breakfast served in the morning, he added.

The undertrials alleged that the officials threw away the food last night, instead of serving it to them under the pretext of security check up.

Suspecting the presence of cellphones and movement of narcotics, the jail authorities had beefed up security checks on undertrials for the last two days, police said.

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