FARRUKHABAD, Sept 6: A prison inmate in Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukhabad has become a ‘lakhpati’, courtesy a remuneration of Rs 1.04 lakh for assisting co-prisoners with legal counsel and letter drafting.
Prison officials said Kuldeep Singh has received the remuneration from the Legal Services Authority.
Singh, who holds a graduate degree, has been imprisoned in the district jail since November 14, 2017. Convicted in a murder case and serving a life term, he was appointed as a prisoner’s assistant by Jail Superintendent Bhimsain Mukund to write petitions.
Impressed by his dedication, Singh was later assigned as a para-legal volunteer at the “Legal Aid Clinic” established in the jail on May 19, 2022, by Achal Pratap Singh, the then Secretary of the District Legal Services Authority.
Over time, Singh performed his duties with diligence, and recently a payment was transferred to Kuldeep’s bank account, amounting to Rs 1.04 lakh, Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the District Legal Services Authority, said.
“Upon receiving the bank statement showing the deposit, Kuldeep was overjoyed. This development has also motivated other inmates to work diligently,” Mukund told PTI.
“The para legal volunteers help prisoners who are unable to afford legal counsel. The volunteers help them with basic legal counsel, drafting petitions or official communications,” he said.
While inmates are not charged any fees for the counsel, the para legal volunteers are given a remuneration by the legal services authority.
“Inmates use their earnings to support their families, pay their children’s school fees, and cover legal fees,” Mukund said.
Several inmates have used their earnings to pay fines and secure their release from jail. Inmates who are still incarcerated send the money to their families via checks, which are distributed by the District Magistrate and Secretary of the DLSA, he added.
Talking about Singh, the jail superintendent said in 2008 someone had attacked his grandfather and in rage, at the age of 20, he took on the attacker, smacked him to the ground, leaving him dead.
He was subsequently arrested and jailed, Mukund added.
According to jail officials, previously, the highest payment made to an inmate was Rs 50,000, which has now been topped by Singh who got Rs 1.04 lakh.
Mukund said, “Payments for work done by inmates are made in accordance with regulations. The recent payment is the highest ever given to inmates for their legal services work.”
The district jail currently has 677 inmates, of whom 80 are convicts in various cases. (PTI)
