In 2006, Bharatbhai Patel alias Bharat Chaudhary, a resident of Golvi village in Diyodar taluka of Banaskantha, left his house as a 15-year-old. He had failed his Board exams and his parents had given him a tongue-lashing.
The jail, which houses around 3,000 inmates, offers diverse vocational activities including diamond polishing, furniture making, and snack production. Inmates can earn up to Rs 20,000 per month and are allowed to keep only Rs 2,100 for personal expenses, with the remaining amount going to their families. One inmate, who has been serving a life sentence for a decade, now holds a managerial role within the diamond polishing unit.