An increasing number of inmates lodged in the anda cell at Arthur Road jail are filing Right to Information (RTI) applications to know the status of their cases and collect data about their fields of interest. Jail authorities told dna that about 50 RTI applications are being filed every year of which 90 per cent are from undertrials in anda cell. This is in contrast to the five to eight RTI applications filed each year earlier.

The authorities said the reason for the spurt in RTI applications is because of the court’s decision to waive the court fee stamp amount to those falling below the poverty line (BPL). By virtue of their meagre earnings inside jail, the inmates fall under this category. The fee is Rs10 for the first application, but increases each time new information is sought by way of CDs, documents, etc.

A jail official said most RTIs are filed by those facing serious charges, including terror-related ones. The information they seek from courts, investigation agencies, Mantralaya, police, etc, is mostly useful in defending themselves in court.

Some inmates are using the free time in jail to pursue their vocations. For instance, the Maharashtra Tourism Department Corporation (MTDC) has been getting two to three RTI applications every month from jail inmates, including many who are lodged in anda cells.

Ehthesham Siddique and Latifur Rehman, who face terror charges, have sought permission from the court to pursue studies in tourism. They have sought details from the MTDC about places in the state which interest tourists and maps.

Some have made outlandish demands via RTI. For instance, anda cell inmate Kailash Mathura Suryavanshi wrote to the MTDC, demanding a coffee table book on the wildlife of Maharashtra.

His request for the book, which costs Rs3,000, was shot down.

Advocate Khalid Azmi, who represents several inmates accused of the 13/7 serial train blasts, said: “They have more time compared to us. Whenever they have queries, we ask them to file RTI applications. They get information faster through RTI.”

@abidi_shahkar