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A complaint sent to the Maharashtra anti-corruption bureau from the state’s Taloja Central Prison has alleged that food items are being sold at shockingly high prices at the prison’s VIP canteen. For instance, fried chicken is priced at Rs 2,000, Hyderabadi-Muradabadi biryani at Rs 1,500, Schezwan rice at Rs 500, prawns biryani at Rs 2,000, mutton masala at Rs 8,000, and mutton curry at Rs 7,000. These prices, for a kilogram of the item, are far beyond what one would expect even at high-end restaurants, raising serious concerns about corruption involving senior prison officials.
On July 30, Surendra Gadling, a human rights lawyer and accused in the Koregaon-Bhima case, submitted the complaint accusing senior jailer Sunil Patil of misconduct in the prison’s VIP canteen, according to a report by Newslaundry.
The complaint exposes a division among prisoners, with allegations that the prison canteen, which should operate on a ‘no profit, no loss’ basis, is being exploited for personal gain by Patil.
Gadling alleges that ordinary inmates receive poor-quality food while the jail authorities allegedly divert rations to cater to wealthy prisoners, who pay bribes for better meals.
He claims that the food provided to other inmates is “unfit for consumption”—describing it as inedible, tasteless, undercooked, watery, and harmful to health. He claimed that insects, including cockroaches, are frequently found in the food, which inmates have to remove before eating. In the absence of safety measures or quality standards, prisoners are forced to rely on snacks and packaged items like farsan and chips.
Gadling alleges that VIP prisoners avoid the official record-keeping system by placing their orders on informal registers or paper sheets.
In December 2023, Gadling says in his complaint that he requested special chicken, which is priced at Rs 2,000 per kilogram, from his Prisoner’s Personal Cash (PPC) account. Despite his written request, he was instructed to pay in cash instead.
Gadling argued that this refusal to process the order through his PPC account indicates the sale of chicken at such a high price is illegal. He recommended reviewing CCTV footage from the Anda Cell, Canteen, and BC, as well as the chicken demand list from the Anda Cell, to verify these claims.
Gadling claims that the proceeds from bribes are divided 60:40 wherein Patil pockets 60% and the rest goes to intermediaries.
This complaint follows an allegation by Sagar Gorkhe, another accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, who had previously reported to the Navi Mumbai police commissioner and the state human rights commission about corruption and “VIP facilities” in the prison.
Gorkhe also claimed that prisoners were threatened into silence for attempting to expose these issues. Gadling’s complaint mentions these threats and the alleged intimidation of prisoners who raise concerns.
Gadling, who was initially arrested in June 2018 and moved through Yerwada jail, then Arthur Road jail before being transferred to Taloja in February 2020, is seeking an investigation under the Prevention of Corruption Act and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.
His son, Sumit Gadling, a high court lawyer based in Nagpur, plans to approach the high court to request a Special Investigation Team (SIT) inquiry into the matter.
Jalinder Supekar, Special IG of the Maharashtra state prison department, told Newslaundry that he is not yet familiar with the details and will need to investigate further, while ADGP Prisons Pravin Burte refused to comment.
