Be it Sukesh Chandrashekhar, who trapped the wife of former Ranbaxy owner Shivendra Singh for extortion, or Lawrence Bishnoi and his gang, found involved in the murder of singer Sidhu Moose Wala, Tihar jail, a place where they are sent as punishment, worked as their office to run the business of extortion.
For the jail administration, however, it is not new.
After the Chandrashekhar case, a first information report was filed against jail officers. No major action has been taken in the Lawrence Bishnoi case yet, where it was alleged that he planned Moose Wala’s murder from jail, as no concrete evidence hinting that Bishnoi had access to unauthorised items has surfaced, jail administration says.
They are not alone, other gangsters namely Neeraj Bawana, Kala Jatheri, etc. have also been running rackets from jail for years.
Although senior jail administration officials say they have taken few steps, it has had a limited effect.
MORE JAMMERS
Sandeep Goel, director general, Tihar jail, told News18 that more jammers will be installed in the high security wards and surveillance is being maintained through CCTV, while giving details about steps taken by the jail administration.
“The prison department is always making efforts to control the instances of use of illegal phones inside jails. In this direction, several steps have been taken. Better surveillance is being kept through CCTVs on the criminals suspected of indulging in such activities,” Goel said.
“Searches of their cells and barracks are conducted regularly. The lodging of inmates is also changed from time to time. Mobile call blocking towers have been installed in Tihar. To strengthen this, more jammers will be installed in the high security wards,” Goel said.
Another senior jail official explained limitations of these technologies.
“We have placed call blocking towers to stop anyone making calls from jail. But every technology has its own limitations. There are places where these towers have no reach and that is misused by criminals. Also, recently we have planned to raise a dog squad, specially for drugs smuggling, but it will take time to finally start working,” a senior Tihar jail official said.
“In the case of Lawrence Bishnoi, no concrete evidence has come out that he had mobile phone or access to any other facilities inside the jail. Let local police come out with some evidence, action would be taken against such officials based on our report,” a senior Tihar jail official said.
THE LIMITATIONS
Meanwhile on the other side, a former DG of Tihar jail says the administration takes action, but as officials are dealing with hardcore criminals, they have their own limitations.
“These gangsters are here for crimes such as murders, extortion, etc. What punishment can anyone give if the jail administration finds any mobile phone or unauthorised items from their possession? At the most, they can be separated and barred from meeting anyone for some time. Obviously, there is a deep connivance of jail administration who help in providing items,” a former DG told News18.
“These criminals don’t keep mobile phones, but hand over to their aides in jails. Whenever they want to talk, they take it from them, use it and give it back. It helps them in fooling jail officials. Even if administration catch mobile phones, with the connivance of other staff, they manage to get another phone. They know they can’t get punished more than what they are already serving,” the former DG said.
There was a time when medical officers prescribed high-protein diet for gangsters, including dry fruits, and they were taking years, but later it was stopped. It shows how well-connected these gangsters are inside the jail, the former DG official said.
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