New Delhi: A small, centrally air-conditioned room measuring 15 feet by 10 feet, with iron grilles on one side, a mattress on the floor beside a stack of bottled water, an attached Western-style toilet and a CCTV camera fixed on the wall.
This is what a lock-up inside the CBI headquarters in Lodhi Colony looks like.
An accused lodged in the lock-up — whether a top industrialist or a politician — sleeps on the floor, is under CCTV surveillance at all times, and eats the food provided by the CBI canteen. There is no provision to provide the accused with a newspaper or a television, or to allow them to make a call home.
“There is no question of providing them with a newspaper or a TV inside the lock-up. There is just one mattress and food provided inside,” a source in the CBI said.
However, former Union finance and home minister P. Chidambaram, in CBI custody for his alleged involvement in the INX Media case, is not lodged in one of these lock-ups. Since his arrest Wednesday night, Chidambaram has been lodged in Suite Number 3 of the CBI guest house on the same premises, which has facilities like a television set, a sofa, a double bed and an attached bathroom.
The guest house also has three VIP rooms for visiting officers, which are sometime used to house high-profile accused.
“Sometimes, these rooms are used as a transit accommodation before shifting the person to the lock-up,” the source said.
Only 10-12 questions a day
According to a CBI officer, the agency is only able to ask around 10-12 questions per day as most of them require detailed answers.
For some questions, the accused is also confronted with some documents, which may take a long time to study.
“There are times when the discussion in one question goes on for over three to four hours. The accused takes time to go through the documents, and recollect information. Most times the answers are not coherent, so it takes time,” the officer explained.
The officer said investigating officers come in at around 9am, and the accused is brought in for questioning. Interrogation does not happen inside the lock-up.
“The accused sits across the table and is asked questions related to the case. Mostly, there is a questionnaire, but the investigating officer can ask questions besides that as well,” a second CBI officer said.
“The questioning goes on till around lunch time, and then the person in custody is given a break,” the second officer said. “The interrogation resumes after an hour and goes on till evening. If there is intense questioning, it may also go till late in the night. There are no fixed hours for interrogation.”
After the interrogation gets over, the accused goes back to the lock-up, this officer said.
At times, if the accused is not lodged in either the lock-up or the guest house, he is asked to sleep on the sofa in the investigating officer’s room.
Also read: In CBI custody, it’s Chidambaram who is questioning his investigators
Rapport with the investigator
The rapport of the accused with the investigating officer also matters, said a third CBI officer.
“The idea is to get as much information out from a person. It is not to make them uncomfortable or torture them,” this officer said.
“A lot also depends on the rapport of the investigator with the accused while the questioning is on. If the person is not evasive and is cooperating well, he may even ask for a cola or coffee, or make a special request like watching the news on the TV set inside the IO’s room, which will be entertained. There is no such possibility in judicial custody or police custody with the local police.”
The officer also said that depending upon court orders, the accused can also meet his family for some time and his lawyers for 15 minutes a day while in custody. Else, the lawyers cannot see the accused until court orders.
He also said that at times, lawyers get orders from the court to sit outside the room while the questioning is on, but are never allowed inside the room.
Food with prescribed calories
According to the second officer quoted above, the CBI has a set menu with prescribed calories that is served to the person in custody.
“It is a very basic meal which includes dal, sabzi, roti and rice, with a limited number of calories. That is to ensure that the meal is not very heavy for the person, who may feel sleepy after eating. Also, it should be light enough to digest, as there is no exercise. The number of calories is specified in our manual, and the food is prepared accordingly,” he said.
“Though no one in custody would ever ask for a dessert, if they do, it is provided on special request. We also consult doctors if a person is allergic to something, and if diabetic, we exercise extra caution,” he said. “It is the CBI which pays for these meals from its own resources.”
Also read: Chidambaram spends first night in CBI custody, his 2 concerns — clean lockup & hygienic food