When Churchill was just another ordinary prisoner

PANJIM: One of the wealthiest persons Churchill Alemao, who is known to spend lavishly on food and drink was served a frugal meal on his first day in jail on Friday. The ex-minister, lodged in the Panjim police lock up, preferred to starve the entire day and night rather than eat the jail food. 

While no special amenities are granted to him, Alemao is treated like any other ordinary prisoner. The politician was lodged in the spacious, yet filthy cell at 5:36am after his arrest formalities at the crime branch (CB) and later Goa Medical College and Hospital were complete.  

Sources said he could not get sleep on the cold concrete floor without a mattress or bedsheet. “He sat on the floor. At 6am, he stood up saying he will be produced before the court for remand on Thursday. We served him black tea and pao (bread) but he refused to eat it. He took tea after a lot of convincing,” one of the police guards told this reporter. 

Later in the afternoon at about 1:20pm, police officials served him a regular vegetarian thali consisting of rice, bhaji, pickle and papad. He refused to eat saying he was not feeling like having it. The same meal was served for dinner at 9:10pm, but Alemao remained adamant on his stand. The officials did not object or make a fuss of it. 

The jail, which faces another cell where his accomplice – former country head of Louis Berger Satyakam Mohanty is lodged, has guests every evening – rats. 

Alemao has raised objection to the Indian style toilet citing knee problem. He had demanded a commode while being interrogated in the CB office during the wee hours of Thursday and later in the district and sessions court where he was produced for remand. Sources however said that he is allowed to use the officer’s western toilet taking a sympathetic view on his health. But his Friday night was spent like any other prisoner. Meanwhile, both high profile persons, who are booked in the very same Louis Berger bribery scam, did not interact with each other. Both are alone in their respective cells. 

It was only in the afternoon that the prison, located on the ground floor of the police headquarters was abuzz when Alemao’s daughter Valanka and a few supporters came to meet him before he was taken to the district court for remand. In the court, the alleged accused requested to be sent to the recently commissioned ‘recreational home’ in Colvale while also challenging the prosecution to prove evidence against him.