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Seeking "justice" from President Pranab Mukherjee, 70 medical students and junior doctors, arrested in Vyapam scam and lodged in Gwalior Jail, have written a letter to him, in which they have requested him to release them on bail or allow them to kill themselves.
The 70 accused have been arrested on charge of cracking the pre-medical test conducted by scam-ridden Vyapam, using unfair means.
"We, the under trial accused in judicial custody, are in jail since a long time. As a result of this, our future is in complete darkness and we are under tremendous mental and social pressure. This is developing negative thoughts of suicidal tendency among us," says the letter, which is signed on behalf of the students by A S Yadav, father of one of the 70 accused lodged in Gwalior jail.
"We are mostly junior doctors, who are working and others pursuing medical (MBBS) course. Our family and our financial condition has turned grim and our family is on the brink of starvation as we are languishing in jails since a long time," it states.
Due to disparity in justice delivery system, all junior doctors are languishing in Gwalior jail, whereas our counterparts charged with the same sections (of the Indian Penal Code) at Jabalpur, Bhopal and other places have got bails from Sessions Courts and high courts, the letter alleged.
"To save officers and staffers of (Vyapam) Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal's (entrance committee), counseling committee, who had indulged in wrongdoings, hapless and weak category medical students have been made accused and denied bail for political reasons," the under-trials alleged in the letter.
"This is being done to develop criminal mentality among the junior doctors and medical students," it said.
"Lastly, we request the honourable President to bring uniformity in justice delivery system to facilitate bail to us so that our medical practice and studies are not hindered for a long time.
"We humbly pray to you for proper justice and bail relief or allow us to end our lives," he letter also sent to the Prime Minister Office, the CJI, the MP high court Chief Justice, and others, says.
Superintendent of Gwalior Jail, Dinesh Nargawe, told PTI, "They have not submitted the letter addressed to the President and others, to me. When I asked one Vishal Yadav, an under-trial in judicial custody since a year, he told me that they did write a letter, but have not sent it."
"They also told me that the letter was with their advocate," Nargawe added.
When contacted, Vinay Haswani, advocate for these accused, said over phone from Gwalior that parents of some junior doctors and medical students had come to him with the letter, which their wards had given to them in courts at the time of hearing.
"I have forwarded it the President's office and other places on Saturday," he said.