Mondal (centre) being helped to board a police van. Picture by Ramen Mondal

Balurgthat, July 31: Bengal jails and social welfare minister Biswanath Chowdhury has problems in his own backyard after a woman undertrial alleged that she was made to sweep and clean the toilet in the correctional home here.

Additional district and sessions judge Anup Chowdhury has asked for an explanation from the superintendent of the district jail on why inmates were being made to do such a task.

The matter came to light after the undertrial, Lakshmi Mondal, complained to the judge in Balurghat today that she had fallen ill after being forced to clean toilets with acid. The judge took cognisance of the complaint and asked her lawyer to file a full report.

The government lawyer, on the defensive, also pleaded that prisoners should not be forced to do menial jobs.

Balurghat is the home constituency of the jails and social welfare minister. “I am really surprised by the allegations. I shall personally inquire into the matter,” Chowdhury said.

Mondal, 52, has been in jail custody for the past six months after being arrested for causing the death of a child during delivery by falsely claiming that she was a trained nurse.

When she was produced before the district and sessions judge today, she said: “After I fell ill cleaning the toilets, I lay in the jail without any medical care. I could not appear before the court for a scheduled hearing yesterday because of that,” Lakshmi said with folded hands.

A stunned judge asked her lawyer, Uday Ghosh Dastidar, to prepare a full report. He has also asked for a detailed explanation from the superintendent of the district correctional home within seven days.

“The jails these days are being called correctional homes. But such practices are a mockery of what the government has been aiming at. Getting toilets cleaned by the inmates is not only illegal but also inhuman,” Ghosh Dastidar said.

Public prosecutor Ashok Sarkar also expressed concern over the plight of the inmates.

Another jail inmate Shanti Barman, who also appeared at the court today, said getting toilets in the jails cleaned by the inmates was nothing new. “We are assigned such jobs by turns,” Barman said.

Jail superintendent Meiyamodo Gwynn said over the phone that he was “on leave”. Asked about inmates cleaning the toilets, he said: “It is a common practice. However, no one is forced to do such work.”

Gwynn added: “Lakshmi Mondal had agreed to clean the toilets willingly. After she fell ill, we had arranged for her treatment.”