Maharashtra Prison Dept. open to information about Dutt's Yeravada stay
Pune, Sept. 18 (PTI): The Maharashtra Prisons Department has no reservations about furnishing any information regarding the three-week stay of actor Sanjay Dutt in Yeravada jail in August following his conviction in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, a top official said today.
Reacting to a media report that the department has directed an activist seeking information under the Right to Information (
RTI) Act to the jail authorities at Yeravada, Satish Mathur, Inspector-General of Prisons Maharashtra, told PTI here that the prisons department was not supposed to have day-to-day briefing on every inmate lodged in various jails in the state.
"Whatever information is permissible under the
RTI Act regarding the stay of inmates can be given to those who seek it. But the applicant should approach the proper authorities," he said, adding "in every case, rules stipulated in the jail manual are followed by the authorities without making any exception for so called high profile convicts."
Yeravada jail Superintendent, Rajendra Dhamne said he had not received any communication under the
RTI Act from any quarters, including state Prisons Department, seeking details of Dutt's stay behind bars.
The Bollywood star is currently out on bail.
The Hindu News Update Service This appears more of a face-saving measure on the part of the Prison dept. of Maharashtra. Instead, they should concentrate on educating their PIOs/APIOs with regard to the RTI Act.--Ganpat