Authorities of the Central Prison in Puzhal have denied the allegations made by the recently-released British sailors that they were shabbily treated during their incarceration.
The British nationals — ship guards Billy Irving, Nick Dunn, John Armstrong, Nicholas Simpson, Ray Tindall and Paul Towers — along with 14 Estonians, 12 Indians and one Ukranian sailing on MV Ohio were arrested in Thoothukudi in 2013 on charges of possessing arms and ammunition and entering into Indian Waters without permission.
The six Britons were lodged in Central Prison for four years until they were released last month after the Madras High Court set aside their convictions.
The defence lawyers of liquor baron Vijay Mallya reportedly recounted a conversation their client had had with one of the sailors, on the conditions of prisons in India to buttress their argument to oppose his extradition, at the Westminister Court, London.
On December 14, The Hindu had reported that Alan Mitchell, a Scottish prison expert recounted details of a conversation he had on December 11 with an unnamed member of the six (at the behest of the defence), who portrayed the harrowing conditions in which they were in at Puzhal.
Snakes, rats, one meagre meal a day and denial of medical treatment to a person diagnosed with cancer were the list of complaints made by the prisoner.
Denying the prisoners’ allegations, a prison staff in Central Prison said, “We were shocked to hear the prisoners’ allegation which are contrary to the truth. In fact, we have provided certain extra facilities to them.”
‘Gave them British diet’
The officials also denied charges that they were provided only one meal per day and food parcels sent from the U.K. were often confiscated, a prison official said: “Though all prisoners are served pongal, meal with sambar and rasam for lunch and chapathi for dinner, the British prisoners were given a proper diet and food that they are used to consuming back home. We took utmost care to accord proper treatment to the prisoners.”
They were provided with A class facility in the prison and accommodated in the first floor. Adequate medical care was given to them, said a prison staff. Nets were fitted on their cell to avoid mosquito bites. “There is no well at all inside the premises. Neither cockroaches nor rats have a free run inside the premises, as alleged by the prisoner,” said the prison staff.
A senior official of the Prison Department said the facts had been submitted to the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is handling the case in London. “They will soon file it before the court while opposing Mr. Mallya’s claim.”
