Ashish Mehta (THE TIMES OF INDIA; April 7, 2018)

Jaipur: Qaidi number 106 at Jodhpur central jail skipped his dinner on Thursday and refused to eat porridge and gram which was served to inmates on Friday morning. But Salman Khan did not miss out on his daily workout which he is passionate about.

A jail officer said the Bollywood actor worked out for at least three hours on Friday evening inside ward number 2 – doing crunches, push-ups, skipping, jumping and other exercises.

Salman was restless late Thursday evening when a senior jail officer visited him and asked if he required a doctor. Salman politely refused and lay down on a mat on the floor. “He went off to sleep around midnight and got up for a few minutes at 6.30am when the jail siren sounded. He went back to sleep and got up at 8.30am,” said jail superintendent Vikram Singh.

The actor refused breakfast and asked the staff whether he was allowed to purchase something from the jail canteen. “He asked for a glass of milk and bread, which was given to him,” Singh said.

He added that Salman was restless around 9.45am and was seen walking in his ward. “At 11.30am he was informed that the court will decide on his bail application on Saturday. He then skipped lunch,” Singh added. But despite missing three successive meals, Salman surprised the jail staff when soon after meeting actor Preity Zinta and his sisters Alvira and Arpita in the afternoon, he started his workout in the scorching heat. Singh said he started the exercises at 3.30pm and continued till 6.30pm.

The jail staff served dinner at 7.30pm inside the ward: kakdi, tamatar ki sabzi, dal and chapati. “He has been given extra security. So, unlike other prisoners, he is not supposed to come out and take his dinner. He was served dinner inside his ward,” said an officer.

In the evening, Salman told the authorities he wanted to take a bath, which was organised inside the ward itself. “He is a tough man. He has been drinking water that is provided for every prisoner,” said an officer. While Salman met his sisters, he could not speak to his parents. “Every prisoner is allowed to speak to relatives on the phone on one of the two numbers provided by him. On his arrival, Salman had given the numbers of his father and his mother Sushila. But there was no reply on both the numbers. He will try the numbers again on Saturday,” said Singh.

Refuting reports that Salman spoke to fellow inmate Asaram Bapu, Singh said, “Both of them are high-profile prisoners. Salman was confined to his ward.”