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Bhopal jailbreak: ‘Outdated’ Prisons Act to blame for security lapses?
Is the 118-year-old Prisons Act responsible for security lapses? The question has come to the fore again with Monday’s alleged jailbreak of eight SIMI activists who were later gunned down on the Bhopal outskirts.
Is the 118-year-old Prisons Act responsible for security lapses? The question has come to the fore again with Monday’s alleged jailbreak of eight SIMI activists who were later gunned down on the Bhopal outskirts.
The 1894-enacted law bars guards from carry arms inside the jail — and it has proved as major issue. Even warders posted in the prison do not feel safe as they are armless. Except blowing the whistle, they cannot do anything.
Experts suggest alteration to the provisions.
National Law Institute and University professor Tapan Mohanty speaks of an urgent need to scrap the Prisons
Act and replace it with a new one.
“The amendments can’t end all the flaws in the Act, as things are changing faster. Prisoners are getting advance with technology, but our jails are not,” he adds.
Retired DIG (prisons) RS Vijaywargiya said the availability of arms for taking out surveillance of hardened criminals is an important necessity that is “totally absent” from the inside security of jails of MP.
“Even in MP Prisons Rule 1968, most of the amendments have taken place are in the direction of welfare of prisoners, parole, interviews and other corrections. No major amendment was done for security enhancement, which is basic thing,” he adds.
Recalling that the central Government recently introduced a jail manual, Vijaywargiya recalled: “I think like other states did, we should adopt it. At least to beef up security.”
In Delhi’s high-profile Tihar, the jail police personnel look after the inside security. For outer area, there is a special force equipped with arms, he noted. In Bhopal Central Jail, which is often equated with Tihar, it is only on the watch tower the personnel of special armed force are present, he notes. “Other things are being looked after by jail employees only.”
Hyderabad Jail has its fence connected with electric current, he adds.
Supporting Vijaywargiya, a jail officer who didn’t wish to be named said carrying arms inside the jail could be risky thing, yet “we can at least develop a corner at short distance from the cell of hardened criminal where armed jail police personnel can overpowered them in case of emergency”.
Vijaywargiya says the enactment of the suggestions benefit not only jail authorities, but prisoners as well.
“According to the jail manual, if somebody tries to escape from the jail and doesn’t stop after warning, jail authorities can use arms on them,” he points out.
“That is what happened in SIMI men encounter case. People are unnecessarily making a noise.”
