Greater Noida: The family of a Luksar jail inmate alleged that the prison staff had threatened to torture the suspect and 15 other co-accused arrested for running a fake call centre in Phase 1, if they were not paid Rs 2 lakh. District magistrate Manish Verma has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the charges.The allegations have been made by Bhumika Varshney, sister of a suspect, Tushar Varshney, who was sent to the district jail on November 19.He is among the 16 people who were arrested by a joint team of Noida police and the UP STF for allegedly cheating US citizens through the fake call centre.In a complaint submitted on Thursday, Bhumika stated that the jail superintendent, through his deputy jailor, has been torturing her brother and other inmates and illegally demanding Rs 2 lakh each from their families. She marked the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, district judge, and district magistrate in her letter. The complainant has also attached audio recordings as proof, in which her brother can be heard asking the complainant to bring Rs 2 lakh to the jails entrance. These audio recordings have also surfaced on social media. Since Tuesday evening, my brother has been calling me from a landline number and pleading with me to give Rs 2 lakh to the jail superintendent so that he can be saved. He has been constantly crying. Relatives of other inmates have received similar calls. Call details and audio records have been attached to the application, the complaint read. The woman further stated that they are being forced to appoint a specific person as their advocate. The jail authorities have threatened that if we do not appoint the specified advocate, the prisoners lives would be in danger. But we already appointed an advocate at the time of the remand, and he is conducting the bail proceedings, stated the letter. The complainant requested a proper investigation into the matter and take action against the jail authorities. We also published the following articles recentlyBanarasi saris made by jail inmates to hit market soonExquisite Banarasi saris made by prisoners-turned-weavers at Varanasis Central Jail will soon hit the markets. Around 60 prisoners initially wove saris on handlooms in the jail workshops, and now 300 more prisoners have been trained in dyeing silk and weaving. Efforts are underway to create an outlet for the jails products, with prison officials contacting fashion designers, companies, and online shopping portals. The jail already has workshops for manufacturing furniture, durries, bedsheets, and handloom saris, and also runs a farming and food processing unit. The programme aims to rehabilitate inmates and provide them with dignified livelihood opportunities. The products will be sent to exhibitions, and there is interest from textile giants and fashion designers. The possibility of a cooperative society and a mulberry sericulture farm is also being explored. The training will be scaled up to cover more inmates, and a production and marketing platform will be established.Nigeria frees 4,000 prisoners to ease jail crowdingNigeria releases thousands of detainees to tackle overcrowding in prisons. Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo announced the release of 4,068 inmates who couldnt pay fines. The move is part of President Tinubus efforts to decongest prisons. The release is focused on inmates with fines not exceeding one million naira. The cancellation of fines totaling 585 million naira aims to alleviate the burden. Tinubu aims to integrate new practices like non-custodial sentences to improve the prison system.Jail Radio to soothe soul of hardened criminals lodged in Bihar prisonsBihar prison department to start Jail Radio in all state jails to motivate prisoners and reform them. Prisoners will be played soft music and given motivational speeches through the radio. The initiative aims to end jail monotony and soften prisoners hardened attitude. Prisoners with good voice and language command will serve as Radio Jockeys under the guidance of jail officials. Control rooms will be set up in jails to ensure proper airing of the programme.

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