Dancers perform inside Bihar's Chhapra divisional jail

Mobiles, movies, and conjugal nights for convicts are certain facilities provided in jails. But organizing a dance program with female artists, wine and biryani inside the jail is something unheard of. Authorities in Bihar's Saran district on Monday ordered a probe after the Chhapra divisional jail organized a musical program for prisoners last Sunday and invited women dancers to perform inside the correctional facility.

The State Prison Department has served a notice on the Jail Superintendent and also sought detailed information from the District Magistrate as well as the Central Jail Superintendent about the program arranged where professional dancers regaled the prisoners till late evening.

IG (prison) Prem Singh Meena has asked for the information on the permission given for the function including the sponsor and the one who met the expense incurred in the program which was organized in the premises violating the jail manual. The IG said the superintendent of Motihari central jail, who has jurisdiction over Chhapra divisional jail, has been asked to inquire into the incident.

On Sunday evening, the district administration received complaints that the jail administration had organized a 'chaita' or spring function and some women dancers had participated in it. Saran DM Deepak Anand constituted a two member team constituting sub-divisional officer Sadar Qayyum Ansari and Deputy Superintendent of Police Raj Kumar Karn to conduct a raid on the premises; over two dozen artists were taken into custody and brought to the Town police station.

“There were no women dancers, instead the male dancers were dressed as women," claimed Ansari. Chapra Jail Superintendent Satyendra Kumar Singh claimed that he had taken verbal permission from the DM to organize a musical function.