July 12: Actor Vikram Chatterjee was today allotted the Aurobindo ward in Presidency jail's Monishi block, which has won the award for being the cleanest ward in the correctional home.

Jail sources said the decision to lodge Vikram in Aurobindo ward was taken keeping in mind the safety and security of the accused.

"He was kept in the aamdani ward for two days... that's where newcomers are lodged till they are allotted a ward or a cell. In this case, it was important to keep the safety and security of the accused in mind," a jail official said.

Vikram, remanded in judicial custody till July 24 for the April 29 car crash that killed model Sonika Singh Chauhan, was spotted talking to some of the inmates today.

"He was sounding a little worried over how long he would have to be in jail," a source said.

The Monishi block, which is closest to the jail hospital, has four wards - Aurobindo, Vivekananda, Khudiram and Maulana (Azad). The Aurobindo ward, where only women inmates were once lodged, is in a corner of the jail premises.

According to sources, the ward is the only one in the block with a water filter. Inmates of the other wards of the block have to visit the Aurobindo ward to collect water from the filter.

Maulana ward is earmarked for elderly inmates, especially those accused under IPC Section 498A (husband or relative of husband subjecting wife to cruelty), while adolescents, mostly those allegedly involved in drug abuse, are lodged in the Khudiram ward.

"Undertrials like Vikram are lodged in Aurobindo and Vivekananda wards. Aurobindo is the cleanest of all wards. It has won a water filter as the prize for being the cleanest of all wards in the jail," an official said.

All the four wards have TV sets with cable connections. "Often a fight breaks out among the inmates over the choice of channel," the official said.