Thursday marked high drama in Chhattisgarh’s ongoing budget assembly session. Former Chief Minister and current Opposition Leader Bhupesh Baghel accused the Vishnu Deo Sai government of obfuscating facts on jail fatalities, setting off a chain of pointed exchanges.
Baghel’s question hour opener targeted unnatural deaths in state facilities spanning January 31, 2025, to January 31, 2026. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma laid out the numbers: 66 deaths, 18 inquired judicially, 48 in process.
Refusing vague assurances, Baghel insisted on deceased lists and case breakdowns. Sharma pledged details. Baghel then dissected specific tragedies—Kawardha’s Pankaj Sahu and Kanker’s Jivan Thakur—labeling the latter a victim of trumped-up charges.
‘Demand the report’s truth,’ Baghel pressed. Sharma clarified Thakur’s evidence-based arrest, jail entry on October 12, 2025, and hospital stay through October 17 with family access. Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal and colleague Guru Khushvanta Sahib fielded parallel concerns.
Building on Wednesday’s uproar, where opposition decried misinformation, Baghel’s assault amplifies calls for jail overhauls. Issues like inadequate healthcare and arbitrary detentions dominate discourse.
The session reveals Chhattisgarh’s fault lines: opposition demands accountability, government defends protocols. Outcomes could shape policy on prisoner welfare, reminding all that justice must transcend partisanship.