Mayor, Kher add colour to health camp for jail inmates

MUMBAI, May 24: It was a day which would remain indelibly etched in the minds of over 1929 inmates of the Mumbai Central Prison, popularly ...

MUMBAI, May 24: It was a day which would remain indelibly etched in the minds of over 1929 inmates of the Mumbai Central Prison, popularly known as Arthur Road jail.The city’s high-security fortress today had an unprecedented gathering of celebrities including Mayor Vishakha Raut, actor Anupam Kher, renowned activist Meena Mutha and others on the occasion of a general health and eye check-up camp organised in the prison premises.

The programme, which was organised by Mahashweta Jain Foundation in collaboration with Mutha, so inspired Raut and Kher that they both cancelled their respective engagements to participate in the programme.

Among others present at the function were prisons officials from as far as Thane Central Prison and Kalyan Central Prison, and also a couple of former High Court judges.

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While addressing a crowd of over three hundred constituting prison officials, guests, mediapersons and over a hundred criminals, Kher said, “Even if two per cent of you (criminals) are benefitted from the check-up then the purpose of the programme will be achieved.”

Raut expressed concern for the mental health of the inmates and stressed on the need of meditation and yoga. According to her psychiatrists should be included in the team of doctors tending to the prison inhabitants because “psychology plays an important role in the criminals’ lives.”

Kher, with his usual vibrancy and charm, virtually overshadowed the mayor. He mingled with the criminals, clasping their hands and also visited the crammed women section of the prison. This section, which was supposed to accommodate only 23 inmates, today houses over 115 women.

Here the celebrities were greeted with a hush. Though Kher stood before the women from the Memon family — Hanifa, Rahina and Rubina — no words were exchanged.

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Just when Raut and Mutha moved ahead to visit the make-shift dispensaries, five to six gangsters suddenly accosted Raut saying, “Amhala tumchyashi kahi bolaicha ahe (We want to tell you something).” The gangsters, who were later identified as Chhota Rajan’s aides, in presence of Raut renewed their oath “to kill Dawood”. The mayor was visibly shaken after this.