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 I lift the entire lot,” he told an advocate some time back. He fondly recalled a time he was making off with 40 kg of silver. “I was carrying the booty with great difficulty, and a remand prisoner who was being taken back to prison by police escorts recognised me and shouted ‘Silver’. I had to bribe him to ensure he did not reveal my identity.”

Rule number two is that he only targets the homes of Brahmin families. A Srirangamborn Iyengar, ‘Silver’ told a judicial magistrate that he was ashamed of himself after he was first convicted in 1966. Once he was out of Tiruchi Central Prison, he headed to a nearby mutt and confessed to the crime. He told them he wanted to ‘go straight’ and sought a job in the mutt. ‘Silver’ says he was thrown out of the mutt — and thus decided to make Brahmin families pay.

Rule number three is he never contests charges. Every time he is arrested, ‘Silver’ waits a couple of months and then pleads guilty and gets a minor sentence. After a few months behind bars, he gets out and heads back to plan his next heist.

Dressed in a white veshti and speaking with a Brahminical accent, ‘Silver’ looks more like a well-dressed cook than a habitual offender. He usually targets women, pretending to be a distant relative or a friend. He then makes off with the booty before they realise they are being duped, says an advocate who has known ‘Silver’ for many years.

Very little is known about ‘Silver’s family. Prison sources say he has two daughters. The elder one holds an MBA and is employed, while the younger is said to be pursuing her MBA.

His conduct in jail? “Perfect,” says a jail official. In fact, most officials prefer to have him as an orderly as he assists them with their work promptly. Special public prosecutor for the human rights court V Kannadasan said ‘Silver’ had promised to turn over a new leaf after his release in March. “He is not to be seen now. Maybe he is lodged in some other prison,” he says.

credits: subramani, times of india.

www.epaper.timesofindia.com