Naini Central Prison

Naini Central Prison
Location Naini, India
Status Open
Security class High security
Capacity 3,000 [1]
Managed by Uttar Pradesh Police

Naini Central Prison (Hindi: नैनी सेन्ट्रल क़ैद ख़ाना, Urdu: نینی سینٹرل قید خانہ Nainī Central Qaid Khānā) or Naini Jail at Naini, near Allahabad, is one of most important prison, and Correctional Institution in Uttar Pradesh, built during the British Raj.

Independence movement history

It became famous in pre-independence era, when many freedom fighters, including Motilal Nehru (1930), Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru (1930, March 1945), the first Prime Minister of India, Govind Ballabh Pant, Narendra Dev, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai were imprisoned during Indian independence movement.[1][2][3] Jawaharlal Nehru during his stay, wrote a series of letters to his young daughter Indira from the prison, starting on his thirteenth birthday till August 9, 1933, which were later published as Glimpses of World History [4]

On March 1, 1941, Mahatma Gandhi visited the Jail as he called on imprisoned freedom fighters, Vijayalakshmi Pandit and Abul Kalam Azad [5]

Also Indira Gandhi, Nehru's daughter and a later Prime Minister of India was arrested along with her husband Feroze Gandhi, and spent her prison term here, from September 11, 1942 until May 13, 1943 [6][7]

Recent news

Lately, it has witnessed security concerns as it houses, not just a few Members of Parliament, but sharpshooters and gang lords from Purvanchal, including Sujeet Belwa and Rajesh Yadav, and rumours that gang wars were being raged from inside the prison. Apart from that many militants belonging to the Jaish-e- Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba are also imprisoned here.[8][9]

In 2008, the prison made news again, when 97 prisoners who had already completed their 14 year sentence, wrote to the President asking for euthanasia[10]

After health concerns in the prison in 2008, when 17 inmates died over a period of five months, and as many as 239 inmates, were found to be suffering from ailments like, tuberculosis, scabies and water-borne diseases, the government has taken measure to improve health services available to the inmates in the prison.[11][12]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Swami Ramdev to give yoga lessons in jail Rediff.com, January 12, 2007.
  2. ↑ March and April 1945 Jawaharlal Nehru, by Frank Moraes. Published by Jaico Publishing House, 1959. ISBN 817992695. Page 326.
  3. ↑ Chronology of Mahatma Gandhi's life/India 1930 wikisource, "1930, August 30–31: T.B. Sapru and M.R. Jayakar saw Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr. Syed Mahmud in Naini Jail. ".
  4. ↑ Discovery of Indira Gandhi: a select chronology, by S. K. Dhawan. Published by Wave Publications, 1986. Page 33.
  5. ↑
    Wikisource has original text related to this article:
  6. ↑ Feroze and Indira were arrested together on September, 10 .. The Hindu, Oct 20, 2002.
  7. ↑ Indira Gandhi
  8. ↑ Naini Central Jail a powder keg waiting to explode Hindustan Times, October 05, 2006.
  9. ↑ Papers missing from Naini jail Indian Express, Nov 03, 2008.
  10. ↑ Life convicts ask President for death The Telegraph, June 7, 2008.
  11. ↑ 17 prisoners die in Naini jail in five months The Times of India, Jun 10, 2008.
  12. ↑ IG Prison inspects Naini jail The Times of India, Mar 17, 2009.

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