The British-Indian businessman Raj Kundram, who is married to Bollywood starlet Shilpa Shetty, has made headlines in recent years for a number of reasons. His upcoming biopic, which also happens to be his acting debut, has garnered attention lately. Recently, an earlier letter written by Raj to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has surfaced. In the November 21 letter, Raj describes his experience and levels grave accusations against the Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai.
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray, and Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, were both copied on the letter. During his judicial detention, he expressed his ‘displeasure’ at being housed in Barrack 6.4 of Arthur Road Jail, describing the atmosphere as’slow poison’, where inmates are treated ‘worse than pigs’.
In the barrack, smoking is allowed for everyone, which makes non-smokers smoke in silence. Multiple burn injuries occur from cigarettes and unplugged bidis on the barrack floor. Despite the building’s stated 49-barrack capacity, over 250 people are forced to occupy there. After much haggling, if you are lucky enough to secure a tiny space on the sides to sleep, you can rest; otherwise, newbies are forced to sleep on theirsides squashed down the middle of the barrack with not even space for a person to move an inch,” he wrote in his letter.
“I have just spent 60 days in this hell sir, but some are there for the last 5-7 years and the trial has not begun for them,” Raj remarked, speaking about his 13 kg weight loss in 60 days. Their low living conditions cause them to suffer from numerous skin conditions. Many people express dissatisfaction with chapattis, claiming that improper dusting results in skin irritation. The awful generic medication that is supplied to prisoners does not provide any special care for any particular ailment. It all comes down to taking the red, yellow, or green tablet that the doctor prescribes.
“I hope some serious action is taken, giving dignity to those who are still under trial and have not been proven guilty,” he said, concluding, “I believe that the NHRC is not aware of what’s happening inside.”
2021 saw Raj’s sentencing for his suspected production of pornographic material. In September of that year, he was given bail.