Prisoners on Hunger Strike for IPL

Prison inmates in Kolkata went on hunger strike after authorities turned down their demand for cable television so that they could watch the IPL.

Who would have thought the IPL would turn into a headache for authorities at Alipore Central Jail in Kolkata? The drama unfolded last week when 500 inmates at the prison went on hunger strike after authorities turned down their demand for cable television so that they could watch the IPL matches. According to prison rules, inmates are not allowed to watch private channels, they can only watch Doordarshan. A five-member team of under trial prisoners then met the jail superintendent, Kumaresh Roy, on Sunday morning. The superintendent refused them again, citing legal obligations. But he had no idea how deeply the prisoners took the rejection to heart. The inmates shouted slogans and refused to eat all day and night. Things came to such a head that jail authorities were forced to beef up security and stem the protests. A search operation was also launched, and three SIM cards were recovered from inmates’ cells. The officials now suspect that the IPL agitation was part of a larger plan to make trouble within the prison.

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Jaideep Mazumdar