Rajasthan police station without a lockup chains prisoners to wooden post

Ever since the government railway police station was set up thirty three years ago, it has been functioning without a lockup.

For the cops posted at one of the police stations at a border district in Rajasthan, every arrest made is an ordeal.

A small wooden post with an iron chain attached to it to fetter arrestees at Sriganganagar GRP police station. (HT Photo)

Ever since the government railway police station in the state’s Sriganganagar district was created thirty three years ago, it has been functioning without a lockup.

Instead, in one of the rooms there’s a small wooden post with an iron chain attached to it, reminiscent of some medieval method of torture.

“In absence of a lockup we have to tie the arrested people in this wooden post. It is a violation of human rights but we are helpless as in spite of many efforts, a lockup couldn’t be built inside the police station,” said Dhanne Singh, station house officer of the GRP police station.

Chained to the post, the prisoners twitch and turn, not being able to move and also have to wait for a long time to even use the toilet.

The police say they have to endure the unlikely sight of a prisoner sitting on the floor chained to the post even as they carry on with their day-to-day functioning.

The police said that with 200 kilometers, the jurisdiction of the GRP police station is one of the largest in the state.

Due to the absence of the lockup, at times the police have to arrest offenders under sections wherein bail is granted easily so that the accused doesn’t need to be chained in the post.

“We feel bad to chain the accused to the post but are helpless. Several letters have been written to the administration by subsequent SHOs in the last three decades but till now a lockup has eluded this police station,” said Singh.