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‘Born Behind Bars, Still Fighting For Freedom’: The Unending Struggle Of Buldhana’s Jail-Born Man

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Mumbai: Thirty years after his birth inside the Buldhana district prison, Sunil Ghule’s battle for dignity and basic rights is far from over. What began as a fight to correct a single word—“Jail”—on his birth certificate has now turned into a plea for his right to live with dignity, free from social stigma. Despite the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) acknowledging the injustice and ordering compensation, Ghule continues to face rejection—not only from authorities this time but also from his own village.

Sunil’s story traces back to 1995, when his mother, an undertrial prisoner in an attempted murder case, gave birth to him inside Buldhana District Jail. His father, Nivrutti Ghule, was also lodged in the same prison. “I was born to my mother while she was under trial. My birth took place inside the Buldhana Jail,” Ghule says quietly. His mother, accused alongside his father, was eventually acquitted. But the stigma of his birth never left him. When Ghule obtained his birth certificate years later, it recorded his birthplace as “Buldhana Jail.”

That single word, he says, destroyed every opportunity that came his way. “It followed me like a curse—in schools, in job interviews, everywhere,” he recalls. In 2023, Ghule approached the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) seeking correction of his birth records. The Commission’s order, dated May 3, 2024, became a landmark in recognising the emotional and constitutional weight of his fight.

Referring to the Maharashtra Prison Manual, the Commission observed that “births in prison shall be registered at the local birth registration office, but the fact that the child was born in a prison should not be recorded in the birth register.” Holding the authorities responsible, the Commission stated: “Even if the mother of the child is in jail at the time of delivery, the word ‘Jail’ should not appear on the birth certificate. Because of the mistake on the part of the authority, the complainant suffered for years—losing opportunities and dignity.”

The Commission not only directed the correction of Ghule’s birth certificate— now showing the name of his native village—but also ordered the state authorities to pay him Rs3 lakh compensation for the “mental torture and loss of livelihood” he suffered. Ghule’s moment of justice was short-lived. The State government challenged the Commission’s order in the Bombay High Court, arguing that he “was not in need of financial assistance” and had failed to provide documentary proof of mental and financial suffering.

The legal battle, Ghule says, has left him exhausted and hopeless. “I have lost faith in the system. The same State that wronged me for three decades now says I don’t deserve justice,” he laments. “I will argue my own case before the High Court. I don’t trust anyone anymore.” Even after his birthplace was corrected, Ghule says he continues to live as a social outcast. In his village of Nandura, Buldhana district, residents refuse to let him build a house or work. “The entire village has condemned me,” he says.

“I don’t get any job. They say I am born in jail, so I must be a criminal too. Even marriage proposals disappear once people know my background.” “I just want my fundamental right—the right to live,” he says. “I want the government to rehabilitate me in another village, somewhere I can live like a normal human being, without my past haunting my future.” Ghule’s case raises uncomfortable questions about how deeply bureaucratic indifference can scar a life.

A clerical error, perpetuated for decades, has denied him education, employment, and dignity—rights guaranteed by the Constitution itself. While the MSHRC tried to heal that wound with words of empathy and legal redress, the State’s challenge has reopened it—leaving Sunil in yet another limbo. “I was born in jail,” he says, “but it feels like I have never been freed.”

Crime

Man arrested for cheating Delhi Police Constable of Rs 24 Lakh in investment scam

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The Cyber Police Station of Delhi Police’s Central District has arrested a 26-year-old man for cheating a woman Constable of approximately Rs 24 lakh in an investment scam, officials said on Saturday.

The accused, identified as Vikrant Kumar alias Vicky Tomar, a resident of Vazidpur village in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district, was arrested in connection with FIR No. 271/2026, registered on September 8 under Sections 318(4), 316(2) and 74 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the police, the case was registered following a complaint by Constable Shiwani of Delhi Police, who alleged that the accused approached her on Instagram under the pretext of seeking guidance regarding recruitment to the Delhi Police through the sports quota.

The conversation subsequently shifted to WhatsApp, where the accused allegedly established a rapport with the woman and portrayed himself as a prominent figure in cricket.

Investigators said he later persuaded her to invest money by promising high returns. Trusting his assurances, the complainant allegedly transferred her savings from her Axis Bank account, took a personal loan of Rs 12 lakh and borrowed additional money from acquaintances.

The woman was cheated of approximately Rs 24 lakh in total, the police said.

Of the total amount, around Rs 8 lakh was transferred to bank accounts linked to the online betting platform 1x.com, allegedly at the accused’s direction.

The police are investigating the financial transactions to establish the complete money trail and determine whether other individuals or accounts were involved in the alleged fraud.

The complaint also includes allegations of sexual misconduct. According to the police, during an in-person meeting, the accused allegedly touched the complainant’s waist inappropriately with the intention of outraging her modesty.

The allegation forms part of the case registered against him under the relevant provisions of the BNS.

The Cyber Police Station’s Central District team is continuing its investigation to determine whether the accused allegedly defrauded other people using a similar modus operandi.

Officials said efforts were underway to identify potential victims and establish whether additional financial transactions were linked to the case.

The police have not ruled out the possibility of further developments as the investigation progresses.

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Business

ED raids Hyderabad firms in Rs 326 crore bank fraud probe

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The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Hyderabad Zonal Office, on Friday conducted search operations at seven premises across Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Medchal-Malkajgiri in Telangana under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), an official statement said on Saturday.

The raids targeted the registered office of M/s Kanakadhara Ventures Pvt. Ltd. (KVPL), the residences of its directors, and premises linked to entities and individuals alleged to have acted as conduits for the diversion of bank funds.

The searches form part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged “misutilisation” and diversion of credit facilities sanctioned to KVPL and its directors, the ED statement said.

The ED case stems from an FIR dated December 8, 2022, registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation, Bank Securities and Fraud Branch (BS&FB), Bangalore, on a complaint from Punjab National Bank.

The FIR alleges offences under Sections 120-B, 420, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code, and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

According to the agency, a consortium of banks led by Punjab National Bank — comprising IDBI Bank, Union Bank of India, Andhra Bank (now UBI) and Bank of Baroda — suffered a loss of Rs 326.49 crore.

ED investigations revealed that Bank Guarantee and Letter of Credit facilities granted to KVPL were misused. Funds were allegedly diverted through related and conduit entities on the strength of fabricated steel purchase invoices and transport documents.

The company is also accused of operating bank accounts outside the consortium arrangement without the knowledge of the lending banks, the statement said.

During the searches, officials seized incriminating documents, digital devices and other records related to the diversion and layering of funds. Unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 15 lakh was also recovered.

Multiple immovable properties and investments linked to the case have been identified.

ED said further investigation is underway.

The coordinated action underscores the agency’s continued focus on tracing the proceeds of bank frauds and cracking down on complex money-laundering networks involving corporate entities.

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Crime

ED arrests Baneet Singh Talwar in Rs 89 cr narcotics money laundering case

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The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) arrested Baneet Singh Talwar, son of late Harminder Singh, on Friday, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a major case linked to large-scale narcotics smuggling, an official statement said on Saturday.

Talwar was produced before the Special Judge (PMLA), Tis Hazari Courts (West District), on Friday and remanded to five days of ED custody, the ED press note said.

The ED probe was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and the Indian Penal Code against Harpreet Singh Talwar and others.

The NIA has already filed six charge sheets, alleging a conspiracy with an international drug-smuggling syndicate operating from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Dubai under the mastermind Vitaysh Koser alias Raju Dubai, a wanted accused, along with Pakistani ISI agents and Afghan nationals, the statement said.

Investigations have revealed that proceeds amounting to Rs 76 crore generated from the illegal sale of narcotics were transferred via hawala to Afghanistan and used for funding terrorist activities.

Financial probes by the ED have so far identified proceeds of crime totalling Rs 89 crore arising from contraband smuggling, drug sale proceeds siphoned to Afghanistan through hawala channels, and goods received in kind.

Baneet Singh Talwar is brother of Harpreet Singh Talwar. Probe findings show that he continued to manage and operate business entities under the beneficial control of his brother even after the latter’s arrest by the NIA, it said.

He is alleged to have provided more than Rs 55 lakh to M/s Magent India, an entity controlled by Harpreet Singh Talwar and involved in narcotics smuggling.

Financial analysis has uncovered multiple instances of round-tripping of funds, with matching and mirror entries across different entities indicating a structured flow of proceeds of crime.

Baneet Singh is also accused of using cash deposits to finance the purchase of vehicles in the names of benami entities, which have already been seized by the ED, and of parking proceeds to acquire immovable properties whose benefits continue to be enjoyed by Harpreet Singh Talwar and his family.

The ED described the arrest as part of a whole-of-government approach to dismantle the drug-smuggling racket and the nexus involving narcotics trafficking, money laundering and hawala transactions. Further investigation is in progress.

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