Tihar inmates take right turn in life

New Delhi: It is "campus recruitment" with a difference for the prisoners of the Tihar Jail, who are going straight from the prison to jobs.

Kaushal Choudhary, charged with a murder and currently free on bail, was interviewed and recruited by DRS Logistics, a Hyderabad-based transport company, during his under-trial period in Tihar Jail.

The job of a field officer for a monthly salary of Rs 4,000 is like a dream for the 26-year-old, who spent nearly five years behind bars.

"I had tried other companies, but did not get a good response. People did not have faith in me since I was a prisoner. But now I am happy that I have got a job," an elated Choudhary said.

He completed his graduation in the jail last year under a correspondence course run by the Delhi University. He was recently granted bail by a local court.

"There is no pressure as such on me. I have been told to learn how the work is done," he said. Besides Choudhary, Sanjaya Kumar Dingra, an accused in a murder case who was acquitted by a court recently, has joined the transport company as a painter with a pay of over Rs 3,000 a month.

The company has offered to recruit 50 prisoners a year for posts like supervisor, computer operator, driver, helper, cleaner, painter and officer, sources in Tihar Jail said.

The jail authorities recommended the duo for the jobs on the basis of their conduct inside the prison.

"The company has a criteria for selection -- the jail authorities should certify that the conduct of the candidate is satisfactory. Both these prisoners had maintained good and disciplined conduct during their confinement in the jail. So their names were recommended," a jail source said.

Tihar is the country's first jail to start such a scheme to rehabilitate prisoners who often face social ostracisation and do not get jobs.

"Our jail has been contacting private companies to come forward and recruit inmates who are efficient and capable. This company recently responded and they started the recruitment process," a source said.

DRS Logistics Private Ltd's joint managing director Ramesh Agarwal said his company will give a month's training to both the men.

"We will train them about the nature of work. But they will get regular salary during the training period as well," he said.

Agarwal said DRS is a major national company in the transport sector with a fleet of 550 trucks. It has about 100 branches across the country.

The jail sources said authorities were in touch with other companies to help the prisoners rehabilitate themselves.