Court orders inquiry into jail inmate's complaint

The Bombay high court has ordered an inquiry into allegations leveled against prison teachers by a murder convict, who is currently serving life term at the Kolhapur Central Prison since 2006.

The Bombay high court has ordered an inquiry into allegations leveled against prison teachers by a murder convict, who is currently serving life term at the Kolhapur Central Prison since 2006.

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Jivan Waghmare, 29, was convicted to life along with some of his relatives by a trial court in Miraj, following which he was lodged in Kolhapur prison. He completed his masters degree in jail through the Yashwantrao Chavan Open University and is currently preparing himself for further studies. Waghmare showed keen interest in teaching fellow convicts, and he was made a counsellor for teaching inmates.

Waghmare, however, in a letter to the high court has contended that the regular teachers, who are not convicts, have been harassing him about his caste and other matters.

The convict also said that these regular teachers get paid in accordance with the recommendations of the sixth pay commission, but still they do not take their job seriously.

The amicus curie, Nitin Pradhan, also informed the court that Waghmare had to pay for his education through the Open University even though there is a central government as well as a state government grant for imparting education to prisoners. The division bench of justice AM Khanwilkar and justice PD Kode directed the state to produce the records by November 16 and adjourned the hearing till November 21.