In separate applications made before the special court on Tuesday, Delhi University associate professor Hany Babu and academician Gautam Navlakha said for the past four months, books sent to them from outside by family members were not accepted by authorities of Taloja jail and were returned. Referring to the state’s prison manual, they have sought permission to access five books a month from outside with directions to jail authorities to accept books sent to them by their family and lawyers. Bharadwaj’s lawyer submitted that when she approached the jail superintendent of Byculla, she was asked to bring the order from the court. Kaustubh Kurlekar, Taloja jail superintendent, said books sent by post were not being denied. Family members said books, including titles like P G Wodehouse, poetry and novels, were sent through post and returned without being opened.

Source: Indian Express December 29, 2020 19:39 UTC