Beyond bars: Serving 5-yr jail term, IS sympathiser Abid now designs Khadi clothes

The Kanda jail authorities have initiated several steps to take prison inmates on the path of reform

Serving a five-year term in Shimla’s Kanda jail, Abid Khan, an ISIS sympathiser who was arrested from Kullu’s Banjar last year, now spends time designing Khadi clothes in the jail. Khan, who hails from Bangalore, was a student of fashion designing before he was arrested.

Abid Khan

Nearly three dozen sewing machines, cutters and other appliances have been provided to Kanda jail inmates and fashion designer Bhupen Paul has also been engaged in this project.

“When I as asked him what he can do in jail, he evinced interest in cloth designing,” says Somesh Goyal, the director general of police, who holds the additional charge of DG (prisons). “When in Bangalore, Khan used to sell the clothes designed by him through e-commerce sites,” the DGP added.

The Kanda jail authorities have initiated several steps to take prison inmates on the path of reform. Besides making candles, food products and other handicraft materials, some of the inmates also work in mobile canteens. The jail inmates also single-handedly run a book cafe at Taka Bench in Shimla.

“This is part of our ‘jobs for every hand’ project,” said Goyal.

“Khan spends at least three to five hours in the work station,” said a jail official requesting anonymity. “He regrets what he was planning to do and now completely discourages all kinds of violence,” the jail authority added.