‘Unique success story’: Living in Kota jail, convict’s son cracks IIT entrance exam

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His father Phoolchand Meena, who has been in the open air prison since 2014, is elated at his son’s success. “It is such a gift that he has given me, especially at a time when I had given up on everything, when I was so broken. This is like a new lease of life,” said Phoolchand.

Peeyush came to live with his father in 2015, with hopes of cracking the IIT entrance exam. “But what could I have offered him? I told him look, this cell…this is all I have. So, we sent my wife back to the village, since it was too small a space. And he studied here, while I did odd jobs,” Peeyush said.

The journey, said Phoolchand, was not easy. “In the end, it’s a prison, it is a congested, 8×8 ft room. And I have been in prison for the last 10-12 years, so our financial situation was obviously not great; and coaching in Kota, you know, only the rich can afford it,” he said.

Crediting his father for his success, Peeyush said: “My father took care of everything….he cooked for me, washed my clothes etc…I never missed my mother.” Apart from the time spent at the coaching institute, Peeyush put in 7-8 hours daily.

“I used to put in about 12-13 hours daily. Initially, I did think it was all a bit too much and thought of giving up. All my classmates were repeating and knew the subjects, while I was a fresher and didn’t know much. So, I used to feel pretty slow. But then, I picked up mid-term and my father’s encouragement saw me through,” he added.

Kota prison authorities called it a “unique success story”.

“It’s really heartening. This sort of a thing doesn’t happen often,” Sudhir Puniya, Superintendent of Prisons in Kota, told The Indian Express.