685. Duties of warder or police officer incharge of prisoners.
- The presence of a warder with prisoners on transfer in no degree affects the responsibility of the Police Officer charged with their escort and safe custody. The duties of the warder shall be -(a)to provide the daily rations required, arrange when necessary for the cooking of the same, and see that the prisoners are plentifully supplied with drinking water,(b)to preserve carefully and be responsible for the safe custody and safe delivery of the documents and property of all sorts sent with the gang,(c)to return safely to the jail from which the gang was despatched, the clothing and other Government property sent with the prisoners,(d)to take receipts from the Deputy Superintendent of the receiving jail for the prisoner's property and documents made over, and(e)to use every endeavour to secure the immunity of the prisoners from sickness and injury,(f)to inform Station Masters of important stations on the route in advance of any requirements in the way of water, food, etc., that may be needed on the journey,(g)to provide (a) 1 zinc pail full of water for every 10 prisoners or fraction thereof if the van does not possess its own water tank, (b) 1 lota full of water to each prisoner, and (c) 1 zinc pail full of water in the latrine for cleaning purposes,(h)to allow only authorized food on the journey.When prisoners are not accompanied by a warder these additional duties devolve on the officer in charge of the escort who should see that handcuffs are removed from a prisoner while he is eating, drinking or going to the latrine, provided that the number without handcuffs at any one time should not exceed one-half of the number of constables in the escort.
