Saturday, May 28 2005 17:24 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: A life convict is on a hunger strike for the last eight days at the Presidency Jail in Kolkata after the authorities confiscated his copy of the Quran.

West Bengal IG (Prison) Joydeb Chakraborty told sources in Kolkata today (May 28, 2005) the Quran was confiscated in accordance with jail rules from Rashid Alam alias Gabbar convicted for life in three cases of murder.

Eighteen other cases were also pending against him.

A book and pan masala were also seized from him when Gabbar was returning from court on May 20, he said, adding that from then he has been on hunger strike.

"Prisoners are not allowed to bring in any article to the jail without permission," Chakraborty said.

"Question does not arise in bringing any article after production in court -- may be the holy Quran or anything else," he said.

Jail video clippings of the confiscation showed there was no dishonour to the holy book, he said.

There was no ban on possessing holy books in jail, he said, but permission had to be sought first.

"Over 100 prisoners at the Presidency Jail were allowed to keep holy books after authorisation to do so," he said.

Asked if the rights of the convict had not been violated, the IG (Prisons) said that the manner in which the Quran had been brought into the jail was against rules.

He said that though Gabbar was not eating he was being fed glucose and liquids.