Mentally challenged share the same cell with regular inmates : Ranchi

A look at the Birsa Munda Central Jail makes one realize that there is a gulf of difference between the ordinary prisoners and the ones who enjoy the VIP status by virtue of political or monetary power. But there is another side to the story too.





In the same jail the mentally challenged prisoners are kept in the same cell as the regular prisoners. A prisoner identified as Barla has been in jail for the past many months. Despite his severe condition, he has been admitted to Ranchi Institute of Neuro Psychiatry & Allied Sciences (RINPAS). Barla is dreaded by other inmates because of his violent nature. So much so that Barla has even broken down the bathrooms of two cells in the jail.



The walls of his cell have been scratched and the paint scraped off to make weird images. Jawahar Lal, another inmate in another cell of the same ward has also been described to be suffering from mental disorder. The cell houses three such retarded people. Ironically five regular prisoners are also lodged in the same cell with those three mentally ill inmates.



The other inmates are already upset by the presence of the other three abnormal inmates especially Barla whose antics have created fear among the people. The other inmates who feel panicked when Barla screams find solace in Jawahar Lal who sings at times and relieves them of their tension.


Source : Daily Bhaskar - Bihar,Jharkhand , 7th Jan 2014