Not possible to serve non-veg food to prisoners, Govt tells HC

The Maharashtra government has told the Bombay High Court that it would not be possible for them to serve non-vegetarian food to prisoners because it might flay tempers and induce a riot-like situation.

The Maharashtra government has told the Bombay High Court that it would not be possible for them to serve non-vegetarian food to prisoners because it might flay tempers and induce a riot-like situation.

HT Image

The government has taken a stand that all three options suggested by the court --- serving tinned food, ordering food from outside jails or making non-vegetarian stuff in prison kitchens --- were not feasible.

Interestingly, foreigners serving jail terms in India are being served eggs and bread-butter. The government has argued that this is because they are not used to Indian food.

Justice Bilal Nazki reserved order on a petition filed by Sardar Shahwali Khan, a 1993 bomb blast convict, opposing a ban on sale of vegetarian food in jail canteens.

The government had last year issued a circular banning sale of non-vegetarian food in jails which was earlier allowed under Maharashtra Prison manual. The jail authorities also stopped serving non-vegetarian food to inmates. Being aggrieved, Khan challenged the circular.

The court had earlier suggested the government to consider various options of serving non-vegetarian food to prisoners including supplying tinned food which was available in the market.