Buxar, Bihar – A chilling account of custodial torture has emerged from Bihar’s Buxar Central Jail, shedding light on the brutal treatment of undertrial prisoners, systemic corruption, and inhumane practices allegedly endorsed by senior jail officials. The victim, 64-year-old Vijay Kumar Arya—a political prisoner and former Central Committee member of the CPI (Maoist)—has penned a harrowing firsthand testimony of the abuse and humiliation he endured under the pretext of discipline.
Arya, currently held under trial in an NIA case, claims he was transferred from Beur Jail to Buxar Jail after leading a peaceful hunger strike with fellow inmates demanding basic rights like adequate food and medical care. Instead of being heard, he says he was met with severe retaliation.
On arrival at Buxar Jail on August 30, 2024, Arya reports being immediately subjected to extreme physical abuse. Assistant Jailer Shivsagar allegedly ordered two Bihar Military Police (BMP) constables to beat him mercilessly with sticks. The torture continued in multiple rounds, targeting his thighs, buttocks, and soles of his feet, until he collapsed. Despite his age and fragile health, Arya was forced to perform sit-ups under threat of more beatings and was denied access to basic necessities like hot water or medical help.
What is most disturbing, however, is the account of a torturous method cynically dubbed “Sridevi Style” by jail officials. Prisoners are allegedly mocked and brutalized while being told to imagine their beatings as romantic acts with the late Bollywood actress Sridevi. These grotesque comparisons are reportedly made to humiliate and psychologically torment the victims.
Arya notes that this practice is routine in Buxar Jail and points fingers at Assistant Jailer Shivsagar, Jailer Raghavendra, and Jail Superintendent Gyanita Gaurav for orchestrating or enabling such abuse. Although Gaurav, a woman, does not remain present during the vulgar taunts, Arya alleges that she is fully aware of and involved in the decisions that lead to these tortures.
This disturbing exposé further reveals how jail officials extort money from prisoners, charge illegal fees for basic facilities, and sell wards to powerful inmates. Arya also reports that prisoners transferred under “administrative detention” are treated like slaves—cut off from families, denied court production, and threatened into silence. In several jails across Bihar, including Bhagalpur, Araria, and Bhabhua, similar torture tactics are allegedly employed.
The brutalities reported have drawn comparisons to infamous torture sites like Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib. Arya’s testimony highlights the alarming decay in India’s prison system, where hunger strikes for basic rights are met with acts of cruelty, instead of reforms or justice.
Despite multiple Supreme Court rulings—such as Shakeela Abdul Gaffar vs. Raghunath Dhokle (2003)—that condemn custodial torture as a violation of Article 21 of the Constitution, Arya’s report suggests that such laws are routinely flouted by prison officials without fear of accountability.
Human rights organizations and legal experts are now calling for an urgent, independent investigation into the Buxar Jail atrocities and the broader condition of prisoners across Bihar’s correctional facilities.
