‘Object’ lands in Tihar, court slams lax security

New Delhi: The security and functioning of the Tihar jail complex has once again been criticized, this time by a city court which has rapped the prison authorities for their failure to ensure security after an unidentified object fell on the ground from outside near the cell of the prisoners

New Delhi: The security and functioning of the Tihar jail complex has once again been criticized, this time by a city court which has rapped the prison authorities for their failure to ensure security after an unidentified object fell on the ground from outside near the cell of the prisoners.

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Metropolitan Magistrate Animesh Bhaskar Mani Tripathi said that Tihar jail, which is considered among the safest jail complexes in the world” and incidents like this have the effect of shaking the collective conscience of the public at large.

It noted that the incident of an alien object coming inside the prison breaching three layers of security raises a big question mark on the efficiency of security officers and their supervisory officers tasked with protecting the jail complex.

In November last year, the apex court had taken note of the prevalent corruption and security lapses at the Tihar jail. It had called for a report from the Union Home Secretary in three weeks providing an action plan to fill the gaps pointed out by the Delhi Police Commissioner in his report that the court had forwarded to the Centre last month.

The directions by the court came in a pending proceeding related to completion of the Unitech housing projects since the arrest of former Unitech promoters Sanjay and Ajay Chandra, after the ED disclosed their clandestine operations from jail and how Tihar officials were complicit in allowing the accused to launder money, influence witnesses and tamper with the probe.

The role of the authorities had also come under fire in the extra-judicial killing of prisoner Ankit Gujjar last year allegedly for extortion, the case of which was transferred to CBI. The Delhi police had also leveled allegations against the jail officials of corruption and bribery to give extra facilities to conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar.

The information of the unidentified object coming into the prison cell was given to the court in the prison authorities’ reply on an application filed by an under trial prisoner Shakeel Ahmed for legal action against Head Warden, alleging that the latter had brutally injured him and was demanding ₹1 lakh as protection money in jail number 1, Central jail, Tihar.

The concerned Jail Superintendent, in his reply to the court, said that information of throwing an unidentified object from outside the jail in ward number 8 was received on May 22. As per the report, on further inquiry it was found that one ball shaped object had fallen, which was picked up by inmate Naresh who went to the cell of Ahmed and had some conversation.

The court also watched a 40 seconds video where a man in a yellow T-shirt had come to collect the unidentified object; however, the video ended abruptly.

The court also said that it was not clear as to how one unidentified object landed into the cell of the inmates and what happened after the inmate collected it and went to some inmates’ cell as the video ended abruptly.

Taking note of this report the court said, “...Incidents like the one shown in video, has the effect of shaking the collective conscience of the public at large. As evident in the video, very conveniently an unidentified object has landed near the cell of the applicant. This incident has happened when there is a presence of three layers of security”.

The court also noted that in the recent past as well, incidents of mobile phones being found in cells of prisoners have been widely reported which puts a big question mark on the efficiency of security officers and their supervisory officers tasked with protecting the jail complex”.

The court said that though the reply by the Jail Superintendent stated that one mobile phone was recovered by the prison staff, it was absolutely silent on the aspect as to from whom it was recovered.

“The reply is also silent on the investigation conducted regarding the person who has thrown the unidentified object. Getting a mobile phone from inside the cell of inmates is a serious concern. The jail authority have neither conducted the inquiry qua the same nor had filed any reply to their superior authorities qua the same incident,” it said in its order on May 31.

It further said that the reply of the jail superintendent is “highly dubious” and “seems to have been written with an intention to camouflage the real incident”.

The court directed the Director General of Prisons to file a report on whether any investigation was conducted by the jail authorities regarding the unidentified object, from whom the mobile phone was recovered, who had thrown the object and mobile in CCTV footage.

It further sought explanation on what was the mechanism of surprise inspection in inmates’ cells and what security measures have even undertaken by jail authorities to prevent such incidents.

In the meantime, the court has directed the concerned Jail Superintendent to conduct a medical examination of Ahmed within 48 hours by a medical board and in the presence of his advocate. The superintendent was also directed to write a request letter to the DG Prisons for change of jail of the accused.