Naini Central Prison

Naini Central Prison or Naini Jail at Naini, near Prayagraj, is one of the most important prisons, and correctional Institutions in Uttar Pradesh, built during the British Raj.

Naini Central Prison
LocationNaini, India
StatusOpen
Security classHigh security
Capacity3,000 [1]
Managed byUttar Pradesh Police

Independence movement history

It became famous in pre-independence era, when many freedom fighters, including Motilal Nehru (1930), Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru (1930, March 1945), the first Prime Minister of India, Govind Ballabh Pant, Narendra Dev, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai, Hasrat Mohani were imprisoned during Indian independence movement.[1][2][3] Jawaharlal Nehru during his stay, wrote a series of letters to his young daughter Indira from the prison, starting on his thirteenth birthday till 9 August 1933, which were later published as Glimpses of World History [4]

On 1 March 1941, Mahatma Gandhi visited the Jail as he called on imprisoned freedom fighters, Vijayalakshmi Pandit and Abul Kalam Azad.

Also Indira Gandhi, Nehru's daughter and a later Prime Minister of India was arrested along with her husband Feroze Gandhi, and spent her prison term here, from 11 September 1942 until 13 May 1943 [5][6]

Recent news

Lately, it has witnessed security concerns as it houses, not just a few Members of Parliament, but sharpshooters and gang lords from Purvanchal, including Sujeet Belwa and Rajesh Yadav, and rumours that gang wars were being raged from inside the prison. Apart from that many militants belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba are also imprisoned here.[7][8]

In 2008, the prison made news again, when 97 prisoners who had already completed their 14-year sentence, wrote to the President asking for euthanasia[9]

After health concerns in the prison in 2008 when 17 inmates died over a period of five months, and as many as 239 inmates, were found to be suffering from ailments like tuberculosis, scabies and water-borne diseases, the government has taken measure to improve health services available to the inmates in the prison.[10][11]

References
  1. Swami Ramdev to give yoga lessons in jail Rediff.com, 12 January 2007.
  2. March and April 1945 Jawaharlal Nehru, by Frank Moraes. Published by Jaico Publishing House, 1959. ISBN 978-81-7992-695-6. Page 326.
  3. Chronology of Mahatma Gandhi's life/India 1930 wikisource, "1930, August 30–31: T.B. Sapru and M.R. Jayakar saw Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr. Syed Mahmud in Naini Jail. ".
  4. Discovery of Indira Gandhi: a select chronology, by S. K. Dhawan. Published by Wave Publications, 1986. Page 33.
  5. Feroze and Indira were arrested together on September, 10 .. The Hindu, 20 Oct 2002.
  6. Indira Gandhi
  7. Naini Central Jail a powder keg waiting to explode Hindustan Times, 5 October 2006.
  8. Papers missing from Naini jail Indian Express, 3 November 2000.
  9. Life convicts ask President for death The Telegraph, 7 June 2008.
  10. 17 prisoners die in Naini jail in five months The Times of India, 10 June 2008.
  11. IG Prison inspects Naini jail The Times of India, 17 Mar 2009.

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