Tihar inmate hits Maninder’s first ball for a four

The team from Jail Number One, which won the match, was led by Santosh Kumar Singh, accused of raping and murdering his girl-friend, Priydarshini Mattoo, in 1996. Son of a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Singh appeared shy and almost embarrassed while accepting the winners’ trophy on behalf of his team.

A prominent member of his team was Jodh Singh, under-trial for the murder of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. Lodged in the highest security cell of Jail Number One, Jodh Singh was allowed to come out and play the match “in the interest of Jail Number One.” The team also had a “Shane Warne” in the form of Sanjay, a spinner.

Out in the field clad in spotless whites — nobody looked a prisoner. It was their “day out” the finals of the Tihar Sports Meet. They looked fighting fit, a far cry from the archetypal image of an underfed and harassed prisoner. They enjoyed their moment in the spotlight. The praise showered on them by the guests, the cheer and the applause of the spectators it was not a thing they were accustomed to.

The spectators too comprised of under-trials and convicts all completely involved in the game. For them, the match probably offered more thrill than any India-Pakistan encounter, but sans the bitterness. The commentator, Aslam, could have easily passed as a pro, with his fluency, clarity and knowledge of the game. He too turned out to be an under-trial.

He almost forced chief guest Maninder Singh, former test cricketer, to take off his coat, come out in the field and bowl his spin to the Tihar players after the match. The prisoners did not seem awed by his bowling. In fact, they gave Maninder embarrassing moments as his first ball was hit for a four and second for a six. Though he managed to clean bowl the batsman with the third, his fourth ball was again hit for a boundary. The commentator, obviously enjoying himself thoroughly but trying to put Maninder at his ease, said that this used to be the spinner’s strategy in tests — first tempt the batsmen and then claim his wicket.

Addressing the Tihar inmates later, Maninder Singh praised their sportsman spirit and urged them to earn their applause outside the jail. He offered to regularly visit the prison and teach the inmates the fine art of spin bowling. R.S. Gupta, Inspector General, prisons, later told Express Newsline that nowhere else in the world were prisoners allowed to participate in such sporting activities with so little security. “We trust them and they don’t let us down. We are just trying to encourage and develop their positive side,” he said.

Deputy Inspector General Jaidev Sarangi said that he had worked closely with sportsmen in the Sports Authority of India and nowhere else had he seen such sporting spirit. “For them it is much more than a mere match. It is their moment of freedom, proof that they are living,” he added.