Prisoner prefers to serve here, calls Indian jails 'hell'

Dubail: A 76-year-old prisoner in jail on drug charges says he doesn't want to go to India to serve his remaining term.

His 82-year-old sister, he says, has repeatedly asked the Indian embassy to help him, but the only response they received was: wait.

Vinayak is among scores of prisoners who may be given a chance to serve their remaining prison terms back in India, but yet they are wary of going home because they said prisons are like "hell".

Gulf News last week reported exclusively that the UAE and India were on the verge of finalising an agreement in which thousands of Indian prisoners here will be able to serve their terms back in Indian jails.

The response to this has been lukewarm: Indian prisoners in the UAE said they prefer to serve their jail sentence here and not in Indian even though they would be near their families.

Vinayak is among five prisoners convicted of drug charges by a court in Dubai and serving life terms at Dubai central jail. They have been in jail for 12 years now.

Vinyak told Gulf News he cannot go to Indian jails at this age. "Here they treat me well. The jail is clean and I am given health care," he said.

Too sick to survive

He said his 82-year-old sister approached the Indian Embassy. Vinayak stressed he is too old and sick to survive in any jail in India.

Y.G. his 45-year-old accomplice said he has been in jail from 1998 for dealing in drugs. "I am one of five prisoners who are here for many years after being convicted in a drug related case involving tablets [class B substances]," said the 45-year-old Gujarati prisoner.

"I prefer to finish my jail term in the UAE despite the fact that my partners and I were not included in two pardons but I still have faith in the generosity of people here," he said.

He said he will not go because his family approached the Indian authorities several times for help but got no response.

"How will I go to serve my jail term in India if my government never bothered about me," he said.

Y.G who converted to Islam in Dubai central jail said he is treated well. "They respect me and treat me humanely. They do not look at us as criminals here. They do their best to teach us the best ways and to give us a good life," he said.

He said during his long jail term he only saw Indian diplomats in newspapers and magazines attending ceremonies or concerts. "They have never visited us or asked about our needs ... now they decided to help us to go home," he said.

Another of his accomplices said the Indian Embassy here only helps children of celebrities, rich people, and politicians, but not the average person.

Better treatment

Another 60-year-old prisoner who is also in the same case said the jail is clean and people are kind-hearted.

"I hope that the authorities will pardon us as they usually do," he said.

He said if he went to Indian jail he will not survive.

"I am poor and have no one back home. Here they treat me well and give me respect," he said.

Another prisoner from Kerala said in Indian jails one has to be member of a gang to survive.

Many prisoners said that prison guards are kind and food is good and the jail facility is hygienic.

"We will not go to Indian jails ... it will be real suffering," a prisoner said.