New Delhi: Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram who was sent Thursday to the Tihar jail will find it difficult to adjust as the stifling barracks are a far cry from his days in North Block.
Also it should be stated here that P Chidambaram will have to spend the first birthday of his life behind bars. His birthday is September 16. P Chidambaram has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days which means that he will be in Tihar on his birthday. His son Karti Chidambaram was also lodged in the same jail earlier.
The court has allowed the former Union Minister to take his medicines along with him. Since Chidambaram enjoys Z-category security, the court also allowed him to be kept in a separate cell with adequate arrangements for his security.
The senior Congress leader, who was arrested by the CBI in the case last month and had undergone interrogation, will be lodged in Tihar Jail till September 19. With a high-profile undertrial like Chidambaram set to be lodged in the prison, one would expect special arrangements to be made.
On being asked about any specific preparations, Director General of Prisons, Sandeep Goyal told this agency: “A jail is a jail. We only follow the court’s orders. No one lodged in a jail is special.” He said P Chidambaram would be treated like a normal prisoner.
Chidambaram is facing trial for financial crimes and is also aged above 70 but Goyal only said, “We will do what the jail manual says.”
Chidambaram will be lodged in Jail No. 7 which houses 600-700 inmates, the majority of whom are jailed for crimes against women. However, this the block has traditionally been used to house economic offenders.
The process to lodge P Chidambaram started with his thumbprint being taken on his entry into the jail as CBI officials handed over all the legal documents to the jail staff to begin the official paperwork.
The jail staff will also be given details of the charges against the high-profile inmate who will need to inform them about his family details and who will come to visit him in jail.
In view of his advanced age, Chidambaram will be provided services of a physician to check his blood pressure at night. He may also be given personal use of the barrack that normally houses 10 inmates. Apart from his clothes, he will not be allowed to carry anything from his home.
Chidambaram will also have to eat the jail’s ‘dal-roti’ in plastic utensils or he can get food from the jail canteen. He will also be required to attend early morning prayers like all other inmates.
IANS