Nashik: About 1,500 convicts turned good Samaritans and garnered over Rs 2 lakh by sacrificing a part of their paltry earnings for victims of the floods that devastated Kerala in August.Some of those who contributed towards flood relief are serving life sentences for grave crimes like murder. Nashik Central Prison at present houses over 3,200 inmates, both convicts and under-trials from various parts of the state, including Nashik.“The amount these convicts managed to pool in may not appear like very much. What is significant is the spontaneous gesture to willingly come forward and lend a helping hand for people in the southern state whose sufferings cannot be fathomed following the devastating floods,” a prison official said.District collector Radhakrishnan B described the gesture as “heart-warming” and complimented the inmates of the prison. “Their act of nobility shows how jail inmates are large-hearted and empathetic,” he said.Jail authorities said the inmates were moved by the tremendous loss suffered by the people of Kerala. “The idea to garner money for relief was initially mooted by us. We were unsure whether there would be any takers. But we were awestruck when they willingly volunteered to part with savings, even though they are so meagrely paid for the work they do. And almost all of them have to send money they earn to their houses so their families can get by,” a prison official said.Only convicts are allowed to work for pay in the industrial units inside jail premises. Some of them work in making bakery products, furniture, fabrication etc. There is also an open jail where a good number of inmates work on agricultural farms of the jail.The jail administration plans to organise a function in the next few days to hand over the amount to the district collector so it could be sent to Kerala flood victims.

Stay updated with all the Latest Nashik headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.