Sanjay Roy who was awarded life imprisonment on Monday for the RG Kar rape-and-murder case will now serve his term at Presidency Jail, The jail rules make him work so as to eat and live. Having had worked for Kolkata police as a civic volunteer, and being a trained boxer, Roy will be posted according to the educational requirement and his preferences. After having been in school up to class XII he will be employed as unskilled worker to do all undertakings from tending the garden to cleaning general public toilets.
Prison Work and Earnings
The sources added that Roy will have to wait for his tasks as they will be dependent on the conveniences of his abilities. For unskilled work, he will receive ₹ 100 per day, remitted directly to his/her chosen bank account. Semi skilled get ₹120 per day while the skilled people like plumber electrician get ₹135 per day.
A jail department officer added: “Convicts with good education standards could be given office duties like typing letters for officials.” There are other professional occupations like fitting and fixing of pipes, wiring and electricity or preparing food in the prison’s kitchen. However, low skilled employee performs more arduous tasks including gardening, cleaning, or act as warehouse assistant.
Roy, who is at the moment locked in cell number six, will now be able to leave his cell and go to work. Ex-prisoners who spoke to the paper said that he cried when he went back to prison after receiving the ruling showing that he too was emotionally troubled.
Restrictions on Earning and Spending
Convicts are paid wages for their work that is however are restricted on how they can be spent. A convict is entitled to earn prescribed amount of money which is half of which is what is referred to as ‘sada taka’ – ‘white money’ – which can be spent on things like paying canteen bills or even making monitored calls from the prison booth. The other half is known as “lal taka” (red money) for use in case of an emergency.
According to its current status, if Roy or any other convict needs to tap the reserved funds, they will be asked to file an application justifying why they need it. This request is approved by the police and only then human can transfer some money to the account of a family member for their use. In this system, no cash is given to the convict directly by the convict’s employer or the convict himself / herself. “All transactions are done by banks”, a senior jail official explained.
Adjusting to Prison Life
Roy was undertrial and he could not attend any job or be paid for his work so he depended solely on his family. He used to have ₹1,400 with him when he was sent to jail. Now as a convict he will get wages for his work but there restriction regarding the expenditure of the amount.
Royal will therefore have a schedule in his life to be dictated by the prison schedule. Cooks amongst the detainees can practice their skills in either the Boro Chowka which is the normal kitchen or the Chhoto Chowka which is the medical kitchen Depending on one’s leadership, one can be posted as cell in charge over the intrants. Roy’s daily task will somewhat alleviate loneliness tenets of his cell but with come with the assertion of strength.
The Emotional Impact
Prison authorities stated that such inmates as Roy usually take some time before they are programmed into submission. Getting from a fairly liberal existence to one that is heavily regulated and requiring back breaking work is quite a shock. “This is a true and real emotional display of them regarding the psychological aspect being felt by inmates and especially after being sentenced as noted from Roy,” an officer said.
Legacy of the RG Kar Case
The RG Kar rape-and-murder case of which Roy got a life imprisonment stirred the city and received severe criticism. While starting his work, Roy’s life in prison can be an example of penalties one faces regardless of the law when violating the rights of others.
By enforcing labor as part of Roy’s sentence, the prison system aims to instill discipline and structure in inmates’ lives. For Roy, his time in Presidency Jail will now revolve around fulfilling his work duties, adhering to the rules, and adjusting to a drastically changed reality.
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