Ludhiana, August 31
Of the nearly 2,500 inmates of the central jail here, this youth does not need a name or a number to be identified. For, his identity is most unique. He is the Blade Man.

A typical recidivist, this youth has been in and out of jail several times on varied charges of bootlegging, dadagiri, thefts, anti-social activities and preventive arrest. The mode of arrest changed but his style of living in custody did not.

The thin sharp metal is his most potent weapon. The youth in his mid-20s, allegedly extorts money and eatables from other inmates by threatening to scar their face. He terrorises them to obey his orders and to treat him as his superior.

He has already left his mark on many a face, forcing the jail authorities to put him in a special cell, made for reforming habitual offenders like him, through counselling.

Jail sources reveal he earned the name by his regular exploits with the cutting weapon. He is expert in hiding it, even under his tongue. Hundreds of blades have been recovered from him. Still, he manages to sneak in one or two.

A self-styled moralist also, the youth became popular among the inmates when he allegedly extorted Rs 1,000 from an under-trial industrialist in Bakshikhana in the district courts a few months ago. The industrialist was facing charges of murdering his sister-in-law.

In a talk with The Tribune during one of his court appearances, the youth, requesting anonymity, said he kept himself equipped with a blade primarily for security from other inmates. A scar on his face is a tell-tale sign of his own struggle against the goons in the jail, “I suffered a cut in a fight against another criminal. I realized then that I always need to keep such a weapon with me.” He admits with a grin.

Confessing his (mis)use of the weapon, which is available in the jail for shaving or beard trimming, the youth also admitted the Bakshikhana incident, “We are poor people. We may be committing crime for our survival but when I heard about a rich person who was caught for a heinous crime like murder or rape, I felt like giving him a lesson in morality. This man had killed his brother’s wife, who is considered a mother in our culture.”

The youth claimed youngsters like him are never allowed to return to the mainstream. “The police wants us behind the bars only. Whenever a new officer joins, he calls all youngsters like me and sends us to jail on flimsy charges so that his area is safe during his tenure.”