Co written by Sunil Gupta who worked as a jailer in Tihar the novel is both a crisp read and at the same time draws the readers into the notorious world

Black Warrant streaming on Netflix is easily one of the best shows in Hindi language. Vikramaditya Motwane along with Satyanshu Singh and others presented a very gritty picture of the deeply horrifying situations where it’s very difficult for a prisoner to reform. After reading the novel on which the web series is based it must be said that the directors have done absolute justice to the novel’s theme.

For those who haven’t read the book or seen the web series the novel is a memoir of Sunil Gupta who worked in the Tihar jail for a very long time. Sunil Gupta is known for his fantastic work in the field of prison reforms and overall administration. One of Sunil Gupta’s major achievements is starting Tihar’s first legal aid cell. Sunil Gupta is a recipient of India vision award for his contribution in the field of prison reforms. Sunil Gupta actually got a stable job in Indian Railways but he left the safety of that, instead he pursued his dream of donning the khaki uniform. In this process he became a jailer in the notorious place of Tihar.

A strong aspect of the book is how Sunil Gupta along with Sunetra Choudhary presents the world of Tihar in a raw and gritty manner. There is no sense of artificially in the way Sunil Gupta has written about his encounters with controversial prisoners of various kinds. This includes Charles Sobhraj, Afzal Guru, Manu Sharma and some more.

A special mention must be made of how he describes the charisma and the power of Charles Sobharaj. The big reason for Sunil Gupta getting the job of a jailer was the recommendation of Charles Sobhraj. The huge influence that Charles Sobhraj wielded comes across strongly through the writings of both the authors.

Sunil Gupta’s description of both Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt is also very engaging. Talking about Maqbool Bhatt Mr Gupta says that he was highly educated and also pious. In fact Sunil Gupta used to practice English language skills with him. Following is a passage from the novel on Maqbool Bhatt.

 “It was very clear that Maqbool was a political prisoner and he was treated as one. Unlike others who would spend their time gossiping or trying to make trouble, all he did was read,” Mr Gupta writes in a chapter “The anatomy of hanging” (p.72). He described Bhatt as a victim of circumstances.

About Afzal Guru Sunil Gupta talks about how his attitude was different from the other prisoners regarding how they took execution. He writes that Afzal Guru began singing a Bollywood song while being informed about his execution. The song is ‘ Apne liye Jiye Toh Kya jiye, tu ji ae dil zamane ke liye’ (if you lived for yourself, you’ve hardly lived, live for the world). Afzal Guru claimed that he wasn’t a terrorist but had been labeled one. He added, ‘If I were a terrorist, I wouldn’t have ensured my child became a doctor.’

Both the writers have presented the prisoners from a humanistic point of view. This is very visible in Sunil Gupta’s interactions with them. Another aspect of the novel is the message Sunil Gupta gives to jailers. He says they have a very important responsibility in bringing reforms and for that it’s important to have an empathetic attitude towards prisoners.

How the economic status of a prisoner plays a pivotal role in the jail has also come out well. If the prisoners are wealthy and have strong connections he can buy most things and these include air conditioners, food from hotels, women and more.

How the corruption is deep rooted across all levels of the prison has come out starkly. A good example of this is the case involving Kohli and his employer Pandher. They both were found guilty of rape and murder of a 14 year old girl. While Pandher was acquitted because of his rich background. Kohli a poor housekeeper on the other hand was hanged. This gives a very stark picture on how the rich can get away.

Final word: Black Warrant (Confessions of a Tihar Jailer Novel) is a must read just like the web series.