GAOL MUTINY.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIII, 23 May 1922, Page 2

GAOL MUTINY.

KICKING PRAYING PRISONERS. Per Press Association—Copyright. DELHI, May 20. Giving evidence at the Calcutta Gaol mutiny inquiry, one witness said the mutiny occurred through a warder kicking a convict, who was praying. Two other convicts, in evidence, stated that this was a false, accusation, manufactured with the object of the intimidation of the gaol authorities to let convicts have their own way. Apparently until the arrival of the non-co-operation prisoners the convicts were docile, but subsequently they became discontented, because the political prisoners got privileges and better food, while the latter told the ordinary convicts that by agitating and making the position of the gaol people intolerable they would get better food. Political prisoners also were allowea to read extremist newspapers in prison, which were passed to ordinary criminals, resulting in a hunger strike, culminating in the mutiny. One witness said the convicts asked him to send an erroneous report tx, the extremists’ papers regarding kicking praying prisoners, and also that another was throttled to death secretly. Another witness gave evidence that prisoners made weapons secretly for some time in the gaol workshop. [The mutiny of prisoners at Calcutta resulted in 15 deaths and a number of casualties.]