Under trial prisoner sits for Police Recruitment Examination in Silchar; Police van inside the Centre surprises applicants

It caused a hue and cry when applicants saw a police van enter the examination centre and escort out one of the applicants who took the written test for recruitment in the Police Department, Government of Assam. Many thought, the applicant was caught cheating and so, the Police had to take action. Some standing outside the DNNK High School which is a centre for examination started believing that this particular applicant must have assaulted the invigilator and so, the Police was called in.

However, the stories made out of Crime Patrol series are not true. He did not commit any crime in the examination centre for which the Police had to be called in. Identified as Santosh Dhobi, the applicant is an Under Trial Prisoner.

“The Under Trial Prisoner has the democratic rights to sit for the examination and so, he was allowed to do so. From Hailakandi jail, he was brought to the centre by the Police and was again escorted to Hailakandi by the Police officials. The standard operating procedure has been followed,” informed Cachar SP, Dr. Ramandeep Kaur.

An undertrial or a pre-trial detainee denotes an unconvicted prisoner, i.e., one who has been detained in prison during the period of investigation, inquiry or trial for the offence they are accused to have committed. According to The National Crime Records Bureau and India Justice Report, undertrials comprise of 75% of prison population in India. In Assam, the underrials constitute 70% of the prison population. Persons who are within prisons as under-trials are deemed to be innocent in the eyes of the law.

In the eyes of Law, Santosh Dhobi is still innocent. He was arrested and put to the jail based on an FIR lodged at the Lala Bazar Police Station. There are charges of involvement in armed burglary against Santosh Dhobi.