Kolkata, Nov 13 (IANS) Jyotipriya Mallick, the West Bengal minister arrested in the ration distribution case and remanded to judicial custody by a special court here, is not being provided any kind of special treatment at the prison cell, sources said on Monday.
According to the sources from the state corrections department, the current state forest minister and the former state food & supplies minister, has been housed at a separate cell at the most high-security ward of Presidency Central Correctional Home in South Kolkata since Sunday evening.
However, he has not been provided with any cot or any mattress for sleeping. He has been provided with two blankets, one of which to be used as a mattress while sleeping.
“Under jail code, a separate cot or mattress can be provided to an inmate only if there is a separate order on this count from any court. So till the time, such an order comes he will have to sleep on the blanket using it like a mattress,” said the state correctional department official who did not wish to be named.
Incidentally, the ward christened 1/22, is the most high-security ward of Presidency Central Correctional Home.
Former West Bengal education minister and Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee, who is also serving judicial custody for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore cash-for school job case in West Bengal, is also housed at this ward only.
It is learnt that there is no television set at the cell where Mallick is housed currently. Although, he will get a chance to read a daily newspaper that will be on a rotational basis. However, he is being provided with diet meals only instead of the regular prison food as per the order of the special court.
–IANS
src/shb