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Security stepped up in Haryana jails after gangster’s murder in Tihar
Jail authorities said teams are keeping a close watch on visitors coming to meet inmates and have stopped giving cutlery to prisoners
Haryana prisons department has stepped up security at 20 jails across the state in the wake of the murder of Delhi court shoot-out accused Sunil Baliyan, alias Tillu Tajpuriya, allegedly by members of rival Gogi gang, in Tihar jail on Tuesday.
Jail authorities said teams are keeping a close watch on visitors coming to meet inmates and have stopped giving cutlery to prisoners, who have been told to eat with their hands instead.
The directive on spoons came after the four inmates who fatally attacked Tajpuriya were found to have used sharp-edged weapons fashioned from steel spoons to stab him at least a 100 times, jail officials said.
Haryana officials said security and vigilance have been increased and precautionary measures have been taken in six jails Bhondsi, Faridabad, Nuh, Rohtak, Panipat and Sonipat in the National Capital Region of Haryana. These jails are notorious for past scuffles between rival gangs, prison officials said.
Officials said special arrangements have been made at Bhondsi jail and extra force has been deployed in and around the premises as the volume of visitors to Bhondsi, which houses 2,900 inmates, including 700 convicts, is very high, said officials.
Officials said members of gangs led by Neeraj Bawana, Lawrence Bishnoi, Kala Jatheri, Kaushal, Amit Dagar, Amit Kalu, Vikram Papla Gujjar, Pardeep Kasni, Ajay Jaildar, Tek Chand, Chand Rewari, Kaushal and Sube Singh, among others, are lodged in Bhondsi jail.
Muhammad Akil, director general of police (prisons), said around 30 prisoners convicts as well as under trials), who are suspected to be hardcore gangsters or prominent gang members, have been shifted to high-security enclosures.
Facilities such as prison canteen, video conferencing, medical treatment and others have been made available to these prisoners in the high-security enclosure itself. As a result unrestricted movement and interaction of these prisoners have been curbed he said.
Akil said their trials will also be conducted via video conferencing. Only in exceptional circumstances, under specific directions of the trial court, will they be physically produced in courts. Most trusted officers have been deputed on duty at the high security enclosure. No other prisoner or official will have access to the enclosure, he said.
The DGP said Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel have been deployed to guard the gates and are keeping an eye on gatherings of visitors. Our aim is to maintain law and order inside and outside the jails. We have taken some precautionary measures to ensure that no untoward incident is reported, he said.
Harinder Singh, Bhondsi jail superintendent, said the prison premises are regularly being searched by teams of jailers. Some of the inmates have tried to fashion sharp-edged weapons from daily use spoons which could be used during a fight among inmates. We have ordered for the removal of such objects from the prison premises, he said.
Officials said they have prepared a data of inmates who have been involved in incidents of quarrel, tiff and assault, or misbehaved with officials, or had disciplinary issues and they are being monitored round the clock.
