Children of life convicts get a raw deal as they are yet to receive the compensation due to them. The children are supported by their grandparents who are subsisting on meagre earnings. Their advanced age makes them vulnerable.
Ranjitham is the guardian for her grandsons aged 12 and 10. Her son was convicted of killing his wife. The younger child was a year old at the time of the incident.
A portion of his earning in the prison used to be provided to tend to the children. Ranjitham is battling breast cancer and cannot work. For several months now the money from her son hasn’t been deposited in her account. Due to the lock down she has not been able to collect the dole of Rs. 2,000 using her ration card either.
Sarojini was convicted of murder six years ago. Her husband Raja is a daily wager in a fish market in Red Hills. Their daughters, now in class 12 and 10, are in a hostel run by an NGO. “I don’t have money to pay for the children’s upkeep,” he said.
The guardian of two of his grand daughters, K. Chandrasekar has sought court intervention for compensation. His daughter-in-law died in a domestic quarrel and his son was convicted. Chandrasekar has had a brain surgery for a neurological problem and cannot work.
For the past nine years Selvam has been taking care of her two grand daughters. Her son is serving prison, convicted of killing his wife. “I am over 60 and am unable to work. My son sends money but it is irregular. I am subsisting but I am afraid for these girls as I live alone,” said the elderly woman, who lives in Rajapalayam.
Under the Victim Compensation Fund the children should receive a portion of the earnings of their parents in prison. Mr. Chandrasekar has already spent over Rs. 30,000 to get a death certificate of his daughter-in-law.
K.R. Raja, an advocate in Madurai, filed a public interest litigation on behalf of these victims.
Mr. Raja took up the case of 21 such families. “Many of the victims are not aware of the deduction or the Victim Compensation Fund and the money due to them. The convicts work in prison and 20% of their earnings should be sent to the family. But the money is not disbursed regularly,” he said.
For every convict there is a victim. The moment a convict is sentenced the victim should be identified immediately. But that doesn’t happen, he added. “It is an uphill task to ensure that the money deducted from the convict’s salary in prison is paid to the family,” he said.
In April the Madras High Court directed the State government and the director general of prisons and correctional services to disburse the amount within a period of six months. The six months’ time has since elapsed, Mr. Raja pointed out.
