VIP prisoners find solace in yoga, books

Once a business tycoon who had the Midas touch, found relaxation in music, and enjoyed reading about Indian culture, Nimmagadda Prasad now spends his time in Chanchalguda prison finding solace in yoga and meditation.

Kadapa MP Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, an active sportsman who won several inter-collegiate cricket tournaments before taking state politics by storm, gets what exercise he can on the shuttle court inside the prison and is reading the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi.

Chanchalguda prison is currently playing host to rather more VIP prisoners than usual. Its special prisoners section currently lodges former minister Mopidevi Venkataramana, industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad, Gali Janardhan Reddy’s aide and OMC managing director B. V. Srinivas Reddy, Trimex Group chairman Koneru Rajendra Prasad, Emaar MGF South India financial head, Vijay Raghav, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s close aide Sunil Reddy, bureaucrats B.P. Acharya, K.V. Brahmanand Reddy and former mining director V.D. Rajagopal.

Former bureaucrat Srilakshmi is currently lodged in the women’s prison. All of them led lavish lifestyles and have been head turners in their respective professions. Nimmagadda Prasad spends most of his time inside Chanchalguda prison playing chess or meditating and has developed an interest in yoga and occasionally borrows books on Indian culture from the prison library.

Jagan Mohan Reddy has been boning up on Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru and the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi, and keeps an eye on current events via Doordarshan. He plays shuttle and carom with his close aide Sunil Reddy, who is by his side in prison just as he always was outside it.

Former bureaucrat Y. Srilakshmi too keeps pretty much to herself, doesn’t interact much with others.