Convict 786
Episode 1
While she was entering into jail, she was stopped by a prison guard. She handed a letter to the guard. She asked the guard to convey her letter to the jailor, Rano Samaddar. The guard took the girl to Mr. Samaddar along with the letter.
Mr. Samaddar was a cruel jailor. He hated criminals. He never compromised with the criminals. He was a specialist to break the bones of convicts. His eyebrow wrinkled when he read the letter. He scanned the girl from head to toe with his query eyes.
The girl looked like 38 years of age. She was wearing a red transparent saree through which her ample breasts were being vaguely revealed. Her hair was long and black, braided down her back. She wore heavy makeup. Her cheeks were red as she applied blusher on it.
"Take her to convict 478. This is an order letter from the upper department." He ordered the guard.
The guard followed his order. She was taken through a long room where on both sides small cells were lined up. Every convict from the cells ogled at her. It seemed if they were set free, they would pounce over the girl.
"Most of them are rape convicts." The guard informed her.
She was stopped near a special separate cell where a man was lying in a corner of the floor. He looked at both of the guard and the girl after hearing the opening sound of the iron gate of the cell. The guard poked the man with his long stick. The convict got up and squatted on the floor.
The convict seemed to be a middle-aged man. His cheeks were sunken. His beard and moustache were white. He was very weak. Bruises were spotted everywhere on his whole body. Those were the clear evidence of his interrogation in jail.
"This girl has come to visit you," the guard told him in a cracked voice.
"I have no one. I don't need anyone either," he murmured.
"Please, leave us alone. I have to stay here alone with him." The girl requested the guard.
He, leaving the girl along with the convict, locked the gate from outside and left the place.
"Who are you? Do I know you?" The convict asked.
"My name is Anju. I'm a sex worker. I was sent to entertain you." She disrobed her saree.
She was in red petticoat and blouse. She was stopped by the convict at the time when she was about to loosen her petticoat.
"I do not have any strength to have sex now. I am not able to move myself a slight either. They cruelly tortured me." The man pushed the girl away.
"Who sent you here?" Convict wanted to know in low voice.
The girl was silent. She gave him the same letter. He read the letter. The letter was from his friend, Dipen who is now a minister. The girl was a gift from Dipen because his hanging date had been fixed after two days. Convict remembered the declaration of the judge. He moaned in pain.
Anju was curious to know his story. She requested him to share his story. In response, he reminisced his past.
"My name is Vishnu. I was a brilliant student. I was very popular in college. My name was nominated in the college union only for my popularity. The members of the union decided my name as the general secretary. No one asked my consent. I was reluctant for the union elections, but I agreed later for the demand of college students. I won the election and became G.S of college. Students needed me for any subtle matter. I became their leader. I even interfered in the authorization process. Power made me blind.
I was the only person who could admit any student without the highest marks. I would sleep with girls in exchange. I also initiated to help people outside the college. My name spread rapidly. I was offered for a vital designation in the state party. Without thinking much, I accepted the offer. From college union, I joined the state party. I met Dipen right there. He too came from another college. Since then, we became active workers of the party.
As I was busy in several activities of the party, I consequently lost interest in the study. Our party was founded to protect Hinduism. I, along with Dipen and other party workers, learnt different fighting techniques to save Hindus in the time of the riot.
In 2002 Gujrat, a riot broke out. Our party ordered us to go to Gujrat and save Hindus. More than 5000 party workers were sent to Gujrat from every district of West Bengal. On reaching there, we began to kill the Muslims instead of saving Hindus. However, we did this heinous crime for the party. We brutally killed old Muslim men and women, raped their girls mercilessly, set fire to their property and destroyed mosques. I fully became a monster. The massacre continued for almost one month.
Because the local police force failed to combat, the curfew was imposed. The special force was called in to handle the situation. We were informed about the force coming to arrest us by our party. Most of the party workers fled from the spot. Dipen managed to escape. He left Gujrat. But I went on a killing spree. I with a few of my party members got caught. Hadn't Dipen escaped that time, he never could have become a minister. He would wait for his death today with me."
Vishnu murmured in anger. He looked at the girl. He paused for some seconds and calmed himself. He began his story again.
"I had no remorse after killing them. I knew that my party will save me. But I was wrong. Our trial lasted for three months in Gujrat High Court. Our Party refused to recognise me as one of the party workers because I was accused as the murderer of innocent Muslims. I, along with my other companions, faced the principal punishment and sent to one of the jails in Gujrat. There in the lock-up, Gujrat police interrogated us. Officers used a belt which is used in flour mill, to beat us. They used to strike on the inner part of hand and feet about 200 times per spell leaving part of hand and feet in blue colour with strong pain during torture. It continued till the evening. After beating, the parts of hands and feet would become swollen. They also used this belt to torture us on any part of the body, even on buttock also, due to this torture I could not sit properly.
Since we were not the inhabitants of Gujrat, we were sent back to this prison in West Bengal. Here the Kolkata High Court ordered some of us to be hanged till death."
Anju started crying after hearing his story. Tears spilt down her eyes. It seemed she also had a painful story.
Vishnu asked Anju to share her story. Anju, wiping her tears, started her story.
To be continued …………….
