At 92, TN’s oldest prisoner languishes behind bars
Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com
Chennai:29.11.2018
Convict no.16712 in the central prison in Vellore is no ordinary prisoner. At 92, S Dasaraj is the oldest prisoner serving jail sentence in the state.
The nonagenarian, who was arrested for murder, has been admitted to a hospital on the premises of the 188-yearold central prison due to agerelated ailments.
Dasaraj, a native of Kowthalam village in Thenkanikottai taluk in Krishnagiri district, along with two sons and two other relatives, was arrested in 1998 in connection with a murder following a land dispute. They were sentenced to life imprisonment under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of IPC.
After the Madras high court upheld the Krishnagiri district court’s verdict, he was lodged in the Vellore central prison on March 7, 2002. After spending 18 months in jail, the five came out on bail and appealed in Supreme Court against the HC verdict. The apex court upheld the lower court verdict. “Following the SC order, Dasaraj and his relatives returned to prison in mid-2017,” said a senior officer.
Since then, he has been admitted to the prison hospital and is fighting age-related ailments with no hope of stepping out of the prison alive, Vellore prison sources said.
The Tamil Nadu Prison Rules 341 (6) states that old and decrepit prisoners, who are incapable of committing crime, and male life convicts aged 65 years and above; and female convicts, aged 55 years and above, were eligible for premature release after they complete 28 months of imprisonment.
Despite Dasaraj having completed 40 months imprisonment (as on November 27), his name was not proposed by the advisory board for premature release. “He uses a walking stick and goes out often to meet his sons and relatives in the tower block. But his health condition has deteriorated over the past few months and his movement has been limited,” said the official.
The prison authorities said he violated the prison rules as he disappeared after going on parole. Hence, he was not considered by the advisory board that recommended convicts for premature release.
Sources in the department said Dasaraj was not alone. A Chottu Sahib, 86, of Krishnagiri and D Ethirajulu Naidu, 80, of Walajah taluk in Vellore district were among the aged prisoners in Vellore. They were in the prison hospital for various ailments — joint pain, breathing issues, digestive problems, diabetes, blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disorders and Alzheimer’s disease.
“They need a caretaker. The prison department is violating the rules by keeping the chronically ill and aged prisoners,” said an official, on condition of anonymity.
SPENDING LAST DAYS CONFINED: Dasaraj, imprisoned for murder, has been admitted to the prison hospital and is fighting age-related ailments. Prison authorities said he violated the prison rules as he disappeared after going on parole and was hence not recommended for premature release
Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com
Chennai:29.11.2018
Convict no.16712 in the central prison in Vellore is no ordinary prisoner. At 92, S Dasaraj is the oldest prisoner serving jail sentence in the state.
The nonagenarian, who was arrested for murder, has been admitted to a hospital on the premises of the 188-yearold central prison due to agerelated ailments.
Dasaraj, a native of Kowthalam village in Thenkanikottai taluk in Krishnagiri district, along with two sons and two other relatives, was arrested in 1998 in connection with a murder following a land dispute. They were sentenced to life imprisonment under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of IPC.
After the Madras high court upheld the Krishnagiri district court’s verdict, he was lodged in the Vellore central prison on March 7, 2002. After spending 18 months in jail, the five came out on bail and appealed in Supreme Court against the HC verdict. The apex court upheld the lower court verdict. “Following the SC order, Dasaraj and his relatives returned to prison in mid-2017,” said a senior officer.
Since then, he has been admitted to the prison hospital and is fighting age-related ailments with no hope of stepping out of the prison alive, Vellore prison sources said.
The Tamil Nadu Prison Rules 341 (6) states that old and decrepit prisoners, who are incapable of committing crime, and male life convicts aged 65 years and above; and female convicts, aged 55 years and above, were eligible for premature release after they complete 28 months of imprisonment.
Despite Dasaraj having completed 40 months imprisonment (as on November 27), his name was not proposed by the advisory board for premature release. “He uses a walking stick and goes out often to meet his sons and relatives in the tower block. But his health condition has deteriorated over the past few months and his movement has been limited,” said the official.
The prison authorities said he violated the prison rules as he disappeared after going on parole. Hence, he was not considered by the advisory board that recommended convicts for premature release.
Sources in the department said Dasaraj was not alone. A Chottu Sahib, 86, of Krishnagiri and D Ethirajulu Naidu, 80, of Walajah taluk in Vellore district were among the aged prisoners in Vellore. They were in the prison hospital for various ailments — joint pain, breathing issues, digestive problems, diabetes, blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disorders and Alzheimer’s disease.
“They need a caretaker. The prison department is violating the rules by keeping the chronically ill and aged prisoners,” said an official, on condition of anonymity.
SPENDING LAST DAYS CONFINED: Dasaraj, imprisoned for murder, has been admitted to the prison hospital and is fighting age-related ailments. Prison authorities said he violated the prison rules as he disappeared after going on parole and was hence not recommended for premature release
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