Hi,

This is not just a piece of writing for a website blog post. This is a harsh reality of my life. I never thought I would ever get a chance (or reason) to write about life inside a jail. But destiny probably had other plans. I am a victim of a false rape case, filed by my ex-girlfriend, just because she was afraid that I might expose her truth in front of the law. Rest is history, but today I’m here to share my truth, and the 'life' inside Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai.

The Day It All Started: 11th May 2022

After spending 9 days in police custody of Versova Police station, I was sent to Arthur Road Jail in judicial custody (undertrial) by Andheri Court. The fear inside me was beyond words I didn’t know what was going to happen. I had heard stories about jail, but the reality was far more disturbing.

As soon as I entered the jail gate, the staff shouted, “Jodi mein baitho re” asking all new prisoners to squat forming a line of pairs, for easy counting.

My name was registered in the inmate record book, and then came the most humiliating part. “Kapde utaar” they asked all of us to remove every piece of clothing, including our underwears. Standing naked among strangers was already traumatic, and then they ordered, “Uthak baithak kar” - squat 3 times.

This was their way of checking if anyone was hiding drugs inside their body (especially inside the anus). But for an innocent person, it feels nothing less than a cruel harassment.

Entry into the “After Room” ( Barrack No. 4)

New undertrials are first sent to barrack number 4 (popularly called “After”). Here, they cut your hair and beard (except for Sikhs). There were no white clothes provided like shown in movies. In reality, if you need clothes, someone has to send them from outside the jail premises.

Post the general inmate on-boarding formalities there is a mugshot taken for inmate record and the officials inquire about any medical issues, injury marks, and/or identification marks. Only prisoners charged with murder cases were given white uniforms, so that everyone could recognise them easily.

Barracks Inside Arthur Road Jail

Arthur Road Jail has 12 barracks, this are some categories:

Barrack No. 12- For VVIP prisoners (full of facilities)

Barrack No. 10- Where Aryan Khan (An Indian celeb-son) stayed

Barrack No. 8- Jail workers or VIP Prisoner (prisoner working in jail i.e in Kitchen, Canteen, Family meeting records, other works)

Barrack No. 6 & 7- General prisoners (like myself)

Anda Barrack (Shaped like an Egg and thus the name)- for Dangerous Criminal

In My barrack room was about 18x60 feet, but 350-360 people were staying in that small

space. Only prisoners staying for 6 months or more would get a fixed space near the wall (2ft x 6ft). Others had to sleep in the middle area, like packed sardines.

Sleeping arrangement was horrible there is 4 “Jababdaar” (kind of monitors) would literally lift people and adjust them forcefully in 69 position. That means someone’s head is near someone else’s feet and vice versa And it’s packed you can’t even move or scratch your body. During the initial days, the shock and trauma is so real that one completely forgets about sleeping comfortably. However, after a few days you get used to it.

Money, Power, and Corruption Inside Jail

Getting a sleeping space near the wall was business. New prisoners (especially rich ones) were forced to pay ₹ 1.5 to 2.5 lakhs through contacts and this money would allegedly reach the jail staff indirectly. “Jababdaar” also got their share to buy canteen items like snacks, biscuits etc.

Jail Routine – A Life of Chaotic Discipline

6:30 AM- Wake up (Jail police counting) (to attend to your morning ablutions one has to wake up early)

7:00 AM- Bathroom time (water lasts just 5-7 mins for 1300+ people)

7:10 AM- Milk Tea (basically hot-water with hardly any milk or sugar. The quantity would not be more than 50 ml)

8:00 AM- Breakfast (Mostly poha/ upma (Indian savoury porridge) worms & spolied grains)

11:00 AM- Lunch (Rice with black bugs, watery dal, rotten veggies, 2 rotis of very low-grade wheat flour called “chokar”)

4:00 PM- Milk Tea again (same hot water) + Dinner (repeat of lunch)

Forget taste, survival itself was tough. Salt & masala (spice) sachets from the canteen were a life-savers.

Jail Canteen - The Only Hope for Survival

Another big reality of jail life is the canteen. And no, it’s not like a shop where you can go anytime. In Arthur Road Jail, canteen is allowed only twice a month. Whatever little money a prisoner gets from his family through money order, goes directly in the canteen purchase. But what are the items available? Forget luxury even basic things feel like gold inside: Biri (local leaf cigarettes), tobacco, salt, sugar, Maggi Masala (only masala sachets minus the noodles), Farsan (savoury snacks), matchbox, soap-bar, toothpaste, biscuits, schezwan chutney etc.

Most of the prisoners inside are badly addicted to biri. Smoking biri is their daily stress-relief. To afford a normal cigarette like Classic or Gold Flake was next to impossible for almost all the prisoners. Only selected people were allowed one box cigarette packet in one canteen. Biri was not just an addiction it was also a jail currency. People would exchange biris for small favours or work inside barracks. Money was survival. No money meant suffering in hunger, no extra salt or masala for tasteless jail food, no soap to wash, no matchbox for lighting, nothing.

Family & Meeting System

Family could visit only once a week for 10 mins, that too on a phone behind soundproof glass. Advocates could meet twice a week. I survived on the hope of seeing my mother’s face every week that 10-minute meeting was everything. For this 10 minutes families have to wait for around 5-6 hours outside in a queue.

The Harsh Truth of Co-Existence

You are forced to live with murderers, real rapists, kidnappers, drug dealers, fraudsters, thieves, terrorists all in the same space, without any segregation for innocent undertrials.

Old prisoners forced new ones to do their work fetching food, filling water, cleaning space and utensils etc. There was no dignity left.

People say hell is after death. But trust me, Jail is a living hell on earth. No human deserves to go through this, especially an innocent one. I survived not just jail, I survived a system that treats undertrials worse than animals.

Conclusion :

A Jail Teaches You Everything Except Humanity

Jail is not just a prison of walls, it is a prison of the mind, soul, and dignity. It teaches you patience, survival, betrayal, politics, adjustment, fear, and strength but it kills the humanity inside you every single day.

Today I am out on bail, still fighting my false case in court. But those 5 months inside Arthur Road Jail changed me forever. I went inside as an emotional, trusting person I came out as a strong, alert, and practical man who now understands the harsh reality of life and system.

My message to everyone:

“Value your freedom.”

“Never misuse law to take revenge.”

“And if you are innocent fight like a warrior, because truth has power, but unfortunately, truth takes time in our system.”

Lastly, I want to say Jail doesn’t reform anyone it only creates either broken people or dangerous minds. It’s high time our judicial system thinks about jail reforms, mental health of undertrials, and the pain of innocent people trapped without proof.

“Innocent until proven guilty” this is written only in books, not in real life.

Contributor : Mr. P from Mumbai (inmate identity hidden - Requested by the owner of this article).