Soren: ‘Nervous’

New Delhi, Dec. 3: When Shibu Soren confidently strode into court last Tuesday, he greeted all around, including dozens of slogan-shouting supporters, with a namaste and a broad smile.

He was still the coal minister and was sure of a favourable verdict in the case of the murder of his former personal secretary, Shashinath Jha.

Five days later and convicted of murder by the additional sessions judge, Guruji (as the JMM leader is known) finds himself in a 10 by 10-foot cell, with doctors the only ones with access to him.

Son Hemant and three JMM MPs wanted to meet “Guruji” but were denied permission. “Till the sentencing, we have been instructed by the court not to allow anyone other than doctors to meet him,” said R.P. Singh, director-general (prisons), Tihar Jail.

After four days spent convincing doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences that his chest was paining — according to sources at AIIMS, he twice told them he wanted to throw up but nothing came out — Soren has been lodged at Tihar Jail. His sentencing, originally scheduled for last Thursday, is now expected on Tuesday.

“He was discharged from AIIMS yesterday evening after we were convinced he was fit to be taken to jail,” said B.K. Dash, chief public protocol officer of the institute.

The sources at AIIMS said Soren was still protesting when he was discharged. “He insisted he was unwell and even claimed he needed a ventilator,” a source said.

There was a brief altercation between police officials and Hemant, who demanded that his father remain at AIIMS, before doctors managed to convince him that Soren was fine.

“He was all right medically, but was nervous, trying to crack jokes that even his supporters didn’t find funny,” a nurse said.

At Tihar, Soren’s cell has no windows, and a barred hole near the ceiling is the only ventilation, sources said.

None of it has hurt the former minister’s appetite, though. He is believed to have eaten seven rotis, which jail officials say is quite a lot by prison standards. “Usually, people lose their appetite on seeing their jail cell,” an official said.

But then, life in prison isn’t a new experience for the veteran of many battles. His last stint was in a jail in Jamtara, where he was lodged in 2004, having been found guilty of inciting a massacre in 1975 in Jharkhand’s Chirudih.