This may not be the first case of phenol consumption that took place in the Sada Sub-Jail and in most of the cases it is due to the harassment of the inmates which prompts them to take such drastic steps. in this case, two women from Sada sub-jail were hospitalized due to the consumption of Phenol in the cell they were lodged into. Both the woman complained of harassment by jail authorities by way of loading excessive work on them. The matter came to the light when jail authority admitted one jail inmate Renuka Chawan into the Chicalim Cottage Hospital. Read the complete report here.
[su_expand more_text=”READ MORE” less_text=” ” height=”0″ hide_less=”yes” link_style=”button” link_align=”center”]According to the sources, two women lodged in the Sada sub-jail in Vasco da Gama had allegedly tried to commit the suicide in their cell by consuming Phenol within the span of 24 hours. The sources in the jail have revealed that both the women were admitted to Goa Medical College hospital in Bambolim.
According to sources, the first case of suicide attempt was done by the undertrial inmate Renuka Chauhan (36) who is facing the charges of murder that was reported last year at Velsao beach. she consumed the phenol in her cell on Friday evening following to that the second under trial Reshma Shaikh has consumed the phenol in the same cell.
After the receipt of information about the suicide attempts in the jail, the jail authorities swung into the action and shifted both the women first to the cottage hospital in Chicalim and later shifted them to GMC (Goa Medical College) at Bambolim. The conditions of both the women are said to be stable at the moment. The second under trial Reshma Shaikh was arrested by police in the case of Human trafficking and she was the cell mate of Renuka. Reshma said to have consumed the phenol on Saturday evening, said the sources.
Mormugao police told the media that they received an information from jail authorities about the first case on Saturday morning giving information about the suicide attempt by Renuka Chawan.
“We have recorded the statement of Chawan who is presently undergoing treatment at GMC, Bambolim. As per the victim’s statement, she consumed phenol on her own and under disappointment and depression. The victim said that she was upset as the jail authorities were giving her more work as compared to other female inmates lodged in the jail. She also disclosed that she wanted to meet the jail superintendent to lodge her complaint about the discrimination in allotting work by the jail staff. However, since the jail staff did not allow her to meet the superintendent, she took such decision under frustration,” police told media.
But on the other hand the jail superintendent Bhanidas Pednekar have told the media that the jail authorities are taking the complete care to ensure that no prisoner gets the access to hazardous substances like phenol.
He further stated that, after the victims reported stomach ache, they were shifted to hospitals on Friday and Saturday respectively. However, only the doctor’s report would reveal as to whether both the inmates had consumed phenol or not, he said. To clean the toilets in jail, the staff gives a small amount of phenol to the inmates, he said.
Meanwhile, the Additional IG of Prisons Siddhivinayak Naik told the media that she would give her comments on the issue only after looking at the medical reports of the victims and the decision over the inquiry into this matter. She further claimed that no animates are prevented from conveying their grievances before the jail authorities and all the complaints are also well attended by the senior authorities without any discriminations.
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