pirainilav

lock up stories repeat offender with a silver touch This is the story of a petty offender’s 42-year-long romance with prisons. ‘Silver’ Srinivasan first saw the inside of a jail in 1966. He was arrested for stealing a silver tumbler from a marriage party in Tiruchi. Since then, he has been involved in more than 100 cases and jailed almost as many times. Now aged 72, he has spent more time in jail than outside it, say advocates and jail authorities who know him well. But ‘Silver,’ as he is affectionately known among fellow prisoners and authorities, has his principles. Rule number one is that he only steals silver articles. “If I come across about 100 sovereigns of gold, I either leave the entire lot untouched or take just one or two sovereigns. If I take away the entire booty, the family would be completely ruined. But not many would go to the police for the loss of one or two sovereigns, especially if the rest of the jewellery is intact.” What if it is silver? “Then...