I think I read somewhere that ‘Death is an ending that celebrates a well-lived life’, and it felt so relatable to me as I have what many may say: irrational interest in death. But a similar thought pulled me to the book ‘Black Warrant’, not its promise to portray what happens inside Asia’s largest prison honestly but because this book by ex-jailor Sunil Gupta also promised to focus on convicts in death cells serving the Black Warrant.
Black Warrant is the story of convicts executed while Gupta served at Tihar. A black warrant is the final order indicating the time and date when the hanging will be executed. My interest was to know and read about the convicts in death cells- their last few days- their mental framework- the gallows and the reaction- a desire they might have—everything behind and on the scene of hanging.
TIHAR IS NOT NEW.
There were umpteen instances and press coverage that had painted a picture of Tihar jail. One understood that people from different strata of society were treated differently. There was a hierarchy of criminals based on their power and the type of crime they committed.
Sunil Gupta and Sunetra Choudhury (award-winning journalist) give a detailed mapping of the crimes and hangings of 8 convicts during his tenure.
TOUGH BOOK TO READ.
It is a challenging book to read. But, if you find time and have a bit of curiosity to understand the inside workings of the jail and, yes, of the hangings- do find time to read the book.
The jail is a jungle. There are written rules and rules that are never written. Some criminals feel remorse for their actions, and ones who do not even bother about it. There are rich and influential who get every bit of luxury and justice delayed or denied according to their liking, and many keep waiting for the process to start.
These differences are known to every reader; still, when you read the details, the stories with enough graphic details for impact are not easy to read.
THE FIRST-HAND NARRATIVE.
Indian movies have created a picture of jail for all of us. The food served, the treatment, the drugs and women, the luxuries, the beatings and a lot more. But most of them are a thirdhand, typical stereotyped impression. However, a Black Warrant is by a jailor who has been close to everything inside the prison. So, naturally, you are treated to a close-up of a map of Tihar and how it evolved from 1981 (when Sunil Joined) to now. There is also a human element in how living within the premises affects the family life of a jailer.
THE ROLL OF HONOUR.
Sunil Gupta does use justified space in projecting his understanding of the psyche of many names we may know Kanhaiya Kumar, Lalu Yadav, Chhota Rajan Billa and Ranga, Charles Sobhraj, Maqbool Butt, Afzal Guru, Ram Singh, Satwant and Kehar Singh, Manu Sharma and more. How Charles Shobhraj could get anything done, how Rajan Pillai’s life and death as a prisoner led to specific rules being created and changed, and how Manu Sharma helped create TJs- the food brand. There are enough stories from the wonder world of Tihar that are well captured by Sunil Gupta.
MANY MORE STORIES.
I will not list or give you a glimpse of many stories in the book- as some seem plausible, and some are tough to believe even after a first-witness account. So, you could only compliment the author for being honest in bringing up corruption, inside proceedings, inmate treatment, loopholes, and process lapses. There are a lot of human-interest stories, too, stories of circumstances, the development and evolution of a criminal, including their repenting the crime or outright continuing to deny it.
BOOK- Black Warrant by Sunil Gupta and Sunetra Choudhury. 208 PAGES.
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