Judge wants proof Mallya cell in Mumbai is not inhumane

Mallya has stood defiant against the charges brought against him, claiming avendetta of sorts by Indian authorities, “I have become the ‘Poster Boy’ of bank default and a lightning rod of public anger.”

He has also cited inhumane prison conditions in India, claiming he would be kept in a cell with no light and poor ventilation, but according to Indian Home Affairs Ministry officials, Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail, where fugitive Mallya will be kept after extradition from the UK, was one of the best in the country.

The prisons in India were as good as in any other country in the world and prisoners' rights were fully protected in Indian jails. Mallya's apprehension about a threat to his life was "misleading", a Home Affairs Ministry official insisted.

The comments came after a court in the UK requested the Indian authorities to submit a video within three weeks of Barrack-12 where they plan to keep Mallya post-extradition to face the law in connection with loan default cases amounting to over a billion of dollars.

The official said that adequate medical facilities were available to treat the prisoners in Arthur Road Jail, where Mallya would get full security cover as an undertrial prisoner and it was highly secured as per international standards.

During a brief hearing in London earlier this week, Judge Emma Arbuthnot asked the Indian authorities to submit a "step-by step-video" of Barrack-12 for "the avoidance of doubt" over the availability of natural light in the cell where the businessman was expected to be detained pre-trial, during the trial and in the event he was convicted by the Indian courts.

While each cell in a barrack can normally house 10-15 inmates, specialised barracks like Barrack-12 at Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail have cells that house only a single individual. High-profile or especially dangerous prisoners — mostly those facing terror charges, who are perceived to be facing a threat or who could pose a threat to others.

Each cell has an attached toilet, a washing area and a courtyard. While prison barracks ordinarily have Indian-style toilets, some cells in Barrack 12 have western-style commodes.

Inmates are provided with a mattress, a pillow and a bedsheet, and a melamine glass, plate and two bowls in which to have meals and water. Melamine utensils are preferred because prisoners can’t use them to attack other prisoners or jail staff or to inflict injuries on themselves.

The cells are covered by CCTV cameras, and guards posted inside and outside the barrack watch over inmates round the clock. Meals are served four times a day in an earmarked area of the barrack where inmates are asked to gather. The food is prepared in accordance with nutrition requirements fixed by the jail food committee.

In response to Mallya’s assertion that Barrack-12 lacks natural light or ventilation, prison officials claim that each cell has a window, and cross-ventilation is provided by bars on the opposite wall. Barrack-12 also has a courtyard, which provides “direct sunlight” to inmates, they say.

TV presenters, Bollywood stars, bankers and businessmen have been jailed or are currently jailed in the Barrack-12 complex.

Meanwhile, Force India the Formula 1 team that Mallya formed in 2007, when times were good for him, was put under administration late last month riddled with debt and seeking a saviour to ensure the future of 400 or so jobs at the Silverstone based team.

The Formula 1 paddock, headed by Liberty Media, are working behind the scenes to prevent another team tumbling out of the top flight due to lack of funds. HRT, Caterham and Manor have all disappeared from the grid in recent years.

Losing Force India, should a buyer not be found, will reduce the F1 grid to 18 cars.