The incident that rocked Goa at Colvale Jail is the first of its kind where clashes took place between jail guards and prisoners who were brought in from Sada Jail. In the West, many such incidents have taken place and hardcore criminals have mauled modern jails, caused intimidation, violence among themselves or even with the jail guards. Abroad in most of the countries now jails are known as Correctional Homes and the prisoners are imparted knowledge to correct their behaviour once they leave the jail. Apart from this, they are kept busy with gardening, tailoring, stitching or any other talent the prisoner can showcase his best. Certain countries like Israel does not show any sympathy for religious fundamentalists. In 1974 Rabin became the PM of Israel who ordered to break the bones of any one disturbing the peace and till today religious fundamentalists face a violent end.
Having been convicted by the judiciary, hardened criminals have to serve a long sentence, they become frustrated. The prisoners involved here were a blend of ethnicity, enemity and rivalry involving Nigerians, Israelis and a Portuguese apart from local prisoners. It has now come to light that a Nigerian prisoner seized a baton from a jail guard and started beating the guard for which other jail guards came to his rescue and this soon turned out to be a free for all in which jail guards and prisoners were injured and the jail superintendent of Colvale jail and 4 jail guards have been suspended and have been made scapegoats. It is also alleged by the staffers at Colvale jail that there is a scam brewing in the name of ‘development’ and the money is being siphoned off and shared among certain top officials of the department.
As per the Geneva Convention, it is their sworn duty of every PoW (Prisoners of War) to try to escape and if they cannot it is their sworn duty to force the enemy to use a large number of troops to guard them, and it is their sworn duty to harass the enemy to the best of their ability. Prisoners who are hardcore criminals do not enjoy such duties but under the Charter of Human Rights every prisoner of foreign origin enjoys certain fundamental rights which must be respected and protected by the Government of India, in this case the Government of Goa. Hence the legitimacy of foreign embassies coming to the rescue of their citizens cannot be questioned.
By the end of the month the report of the magisterial inquiry will be submitted.
