RANCHOD Vs. STATE OF M.P.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS letter petition by the prisoners Ranchod and Bhanta has been sent from Central Jail Indore. Cellulitis abcess caused by Chloroquine and Analgin injections to a patient hyper -sensitive to analgin and oxyphen -butazone, resulting in death in M.Y. Hospital, Indore on 18.11.1986, is the theme of this letter petition, sent by prisoners Ranchod and his father Bhanta, presently lodged at Central Jail, Indore, where they are undergoing life imprisonment. The petition has many facets exposing the negligence of authorities, callous disregard to duty by all concerned, including the Jail staff, the Executive Magistrate, the visitors to jail appointed by the State Government, the District Judge, the Police and the unethical conduct of the doctors.

(2.) DEATH takes no holiday. It knows no date and it is no respecter of persons. It occurs to the prince as well as to the prisoner. But when a prisoner dies, it does create some ripples. Vangariya, the prisoner who died, rather made to die, if the allegations made in this letter petition are true, on his refusal to wash clothes not only of the doctors and their family, but also of the nurses and compounders and do other all and sundry work at the jail doctor's bungalow landed him in the Jail hospital, where he was, as per allegations contained in the petition, and not denied by the doctor or the Compounder concerned, injected poison in the name of treatment, only because one cloths given for washing, was missing.

(3.) VANGARIYA , along with his father Bhanta and brother Ranchod and nephew was convicted by the Sessions Judge, Mandleshwar, for offence punishable under section 302/34 IPC and sentenced to undergo life imprisonment. He was admitted to Central Jail Indore, on 9.8.1986. His health as recorded at the time of admission was sound and good. He was assigned 'Safai' duty in the Jail Hospital from 1.9.1986 and continued as a 'Hospital Worker' in the Jail Hospital till he died on 18.11.1986. What a cruel irony of fate it was that his application for being released on bail came up for hearing just the next day, after the hearing of this petition, and his counsel who prayed and pressed for his release, little knowing that he had already been freed and released from the bonds of life itself, and no Court could have ordered his release.