Patna- "I have never seen such widespread corruption anywhere like in the Ideal Central Jail, Beur. Here, wealthy and influential prisoners enjoy heaven-like comforts, but ordinary inmates endure torments worse than hell." These are the bitter words of senior journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh, who is currently a undertrial prisoner in Beur Jail's high-security cell.

Rupesh had written an application to the Collector in December too, exposing the problems, arbitrary practices, and corruption within the jail. It is still unknown whether any action has been taken against the jail administration in this matter. Speaking with The Mooknayak, Rupesh's wife Ipsa Shatakshi informed that her husband is currently suffering from several health problems, including high triglycerides and cholesterol, sinusitis, and a slipped disc. However, despite a court order, the jail authorities have neither taken him to a hospital for treatment, nor conducted any tests, nor even arranged for his examination within the jail premises.

Drawing from his experiences documented in his 'Jail Diary' Kaedkhane Ka Aaina (Mirror of the Prison), Rupesh has penned another detailed letter to the Patna District Magistrate, highlighting 12 grave issues with the jail administration. This letter is not just a record of Rupesh's personal suffering but has become the collective voice of thousands of inmates in Beur Jail. Copies sent to the National Human Rights Commission and Bihar Home Minister Samrat Choudhary have ignited fresh debates on prison reforms.

Rupesh Singh, a resident of Dharouni village in Bhagalpur, revealed that he has been imprisoned in Beur Jail since April 17, 2023. As a journalist who has always raised his voice for truth and justice, he paid the price for it when he was transferred to Bhagalpur Jail on January 22, 2024, on fabricated charges for demanding prisoners' rights. Despite a supposed six-month sentence, he was brought back only after 20 months, on September 23, 2025. The very next day after his return, he was confined to Degree No. 29 in Gol Ghar-02, where 87 inmates are forced to share a single tap for bathing. Based on his experiences across six jails in Bihar and Jharkhand, Singh asserts that Beur Jail's corruption surpasses all others, where officials collude to provide every luxury to those with money.

The letter first addresses the gross violation of the diet chart. As per the Jail Manual, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays should include seasonal fruits worth Rs. 10 for breakfast, Mondays should have 200 grams of milk at night, Thursdays khichdi, Sundays sewai and bhujia, and Saturdays egg curry. However, these provisions are available only sporadically, perhaps 2-3 days a month. Elderly inmates over 70 years are entitled to 500 grams of milk and fruits daily, a right completely ignored. Similarly, basic hygiene items like bathing soap, laundry soap, oil, toothbrushes, and toothpaste are not provided, endangering inmates' health.

Singh has launched a scathing attack on the dilapidated health services. With minimal facilities in the jail hospital, patients with serious illnesses must obtain a court order to be sent to external hospitals. Doctors fail to prepare minutes on their own, leading to many diseases becoming incurable. Another face of corruption is the operation of private messes by influential inmates.

Corruption peaks in the visitation and communication processes. Online registrations often fail to send OTPs, forcing families to bribe middlemen at the counter to get visitation slips issued instantly. Of the three STD booths, one is permanently broken, and the other two are frequently out of order, delaying mobile number verifications by 3-6 months. Correspondence facilities are virtually nonexistent, inmates cannot even write to family, lawyers, or co-accused in other jails. Educational neglect is glaring too; the IGNOU study center lacks postgraduate courses, a disgrace for the capital's prison.

The conditions in high-security Gol Ghar-02 are heart-wrenching. Ventilators were sealed a month ago, there are no windows, just a front door and no TV or radio setups. With 87 inmates, bathing happens on toilet seats due to the single tap. The administration has formed a 'lathi command' from rowdy inmates, armed with sticks to patrol and beat others, fostering an atmosphere of fear. The most terrifying allegation is administrative punishment on false charges those who speak up are transferred for years to distant jails, enduring brutal beatings en route. Investigations lack transparency; officials meet only handpicked inmates, while other wards are locked. Singh cited the December 10, 2025 Human Rights Day event, where just 200 prisoners were allowed to participate, with the rest confined until the end.

Rupesh Singh has urged the District Magistrate for an immediate probe and offered to provide full details of the corruption in a personal meeting. This letter marks a significant step toward prison reform, potentially compelling the Bihar government and human rights bodies to act.