Court directs Arthur Road jail to obey orders, provide Jain food to accused held in ED case

On June 24, the court had issued a showcause notice to the superintendent of Arthur Road jail after Shah complained that he was surviving only on chapatis from May as he is not being provided Jain food, despite the court’s order.

Shah was arrested by the ED in March in connection with its probe where Malegaon residents’ bank accounts were allegedly misused for money-laundering. Shah had filed a plea in May before the court that he is a follower of Jainism and follows a strict diet. He had sought Jain food, in accordance with his dietary requirements, following which the court directed the jail authorities to provide him with Jain food on May 14.

On Thursday, Shah told the court that while other accused were being given dal, chapati, sabzi (vegetable gravy) and rice for lunch and dinner, he was alternately either given dal and chapati or sabzi and chapati each meal. He also told the court that the jail authorities had complied with the court’s order only for a few days.

The court has now directed the jail authorities to provide him with Jain food. The Arthur Road jail officials responded to the showcause notice last week, stating that he was being given food according to his dietary requirement, and that he was denied home food as there is no such court order.