Raja Singh’s wife says prison staff making her husband to sleep on floor

HYDERABAD: Goshamahal MLA Raja Singh`s wife Usha Bai has petitioned the Telangana High Court that the authorities at the Cherlapally Central Prison are not providing basic amenities like cot, chair and newspapers to her jailed husband since August 25.

A BJP legislator, Singh is in detention under the Preventive Detention Act.

Ushabai pleaded with the court to direct the principal secretary (Home) and the superintendent of the prison to provide basic amenities to her husband.

“As he is an MLA, he should be treated as a special class prisoner under the Telangana Prisons Rules. He is an elected public representative. So, the court may order the authorities to enable the inmate to interact with his family members, the voters and well-wishers twice a week,” she pleaded in a fresh petition on Thursday.

Earlier, she had filed a petition challenging the detention of Raja Singh under PD Act, which is pending, and in which the court had sought the response of the police department.

As per sections 27,31,33 and 40 of the Prisons Act read with other rules of the Telangana Prisons Rules, the detainee, an elected public representative, is entitled to certain basic facilities but nothing is allowed. He is also entitled to get food from outside and wear his own clothes, she stated.

Further, she apprehended that physical attacks may occur on her husband from the jail inmates. She requested the court to provide special security to him.

On Thursday, the writ petition was heard by the bench headed by Justice Kanneganti Lalitha. However, on the request of the petitioner`s counsel, the case was adjourned to September 28.