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When IG Zaidi shared prison experiences at a roundtable

Zaidi categorised his prison experiences into two themes: literacy and economic independence.

Zahur Haider Zaidi shares transformative prison experiences, emphasizing education and rehabilitation. (Source: File Photo)

Convicted today in the Kotkhai custodial death case, Inspector General Zahur Haider Zaidi had once shared a remarkable tale of how education transformed an illiterate convict in Model Burail Jail. On June 13, 2023, Zaidi, then an accused in the case, recounted how he used his incarceration to teach fellow inmates and revealed how prisons strip individuals of their identities, replacing their names with dehumanising nicknames.

Zaidi revealed that he was nicknamed “Tuntuna IG” at Model Burail Jail. He was among a select group, including women, invited to share their prison experiences and suggest improvements to the prison system at a roundtable consultation on the “Reintegration Policy and Rehabilitation Scheme for Women Prison Inmates” at the Institute of Correctional Administration (ICA), Sector 26, on June 13, 2023.

Sharing one of his experiences, Zaidi narrated his interaction with an inmate nicknamed “Sadda” (rotten), who was no longer addressed by his original name. “The inmate was convicted for a double murder at around 20 years of age. When I met him at Model Burail Jail, he was 27 and illiterate. I began teaching him, along with other inmates, as a way to spend my time constructively. Surprisingly, after one and a half months of attending classes, Sadda became conscious of his identity and insisted on being addressed by his real name.”

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Zaidi described an incident when a jail warder called the inmate “Sadda.” The convict’s response stunned everyone. “For the first time, Sadda stood up, snubbed the warder, and told him to address him by his real name from then on,” Zaidi said.

Zaidi categorised his prison experiences into two themes: literacy and economic independence. “I spent 1,589 days in three prisons, including Central Jail Kanda and Sub Jail Kaithu in Himachal Pradesh, and Model Burail Jail in Chandigarh,” he said.

He was incarcerated at Model Burail Jail between March 2020 and October 2022, before being granted regular bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The consultation, organised by the ICA and the Punjab Department of Social Security & Women and Child Development, aimed to finalise recommendations for the Punjab State Policy for the Reintegration of Women Prisoners and a scheme for their rehabilitation after release.

Saurabh Parashar

Saurabh Parashar is a journalist with The Indian Express, where he primarily covers developments in Himachal Pradesh. He has been associated with The Indian Express since 2017 and has earlier worked with The Times of India. He has 17 year + experience in the field of print journalism. An alumnus of Government College for Men, Sector 11, (Panjab University), Chandigarh, Saurabh holds a Diploma in Journalism from Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan, Chandigarh. He pursued his Master’s in Mass Communication from Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar. In addition, he completed his law degree from Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla. ... Read More

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