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Dormitory with 24-hr surveillance planned at SGH for jail inmates
SGH has begun searching for a new facility preferably a dormitory-like space under 24-hour observation and electronic surveillance to house jail inmates for their medical treatment
Pune: The Sassoon General Hospital administration has begun searching for a new facility preferably a dormitory-like space to house jail inmates for their medical treatment. It will be under 24-hour observation and electronic surveillance, according to the hospital officials.
The need for new facility was expressed by the state government four-member committee which pulled up the hospital administration for its inept handling of drug trade kingpin Lalit Patil which led to his escape from the premises.
The committee had expressed its serious reservations about admission of jail inmates in ward number 16 where some high-profile inmates had allegedly received VIP treatment by bribing officials.
The committee has given standing instructions to ensure that no privacy was granted to inmates admitted and instead they should be subject to electronic and physical surveillance so as to prevent a repeat of escape incident from the hospital.
According to the directions of the committee, no concession must be given to jail inmate as far as privacy was concerned and the admission ward for them should be formed and developed in such a way that they should be within the range of physical and electronic surveillance while adhering to rulebook.
In the report submitted by committee last week, one of the members had pointed out the need for closure of ward number 16 and activation of a 24-hour electronic surveillance dormitory-like facility to put an end to VIP treatment granted to prisoners in the recent past.
Dr Dilip Mhaisekar, head of four-member committee, said, “All necessary directions related to security aspects have been given to the hospital and adherence to guidelines is mandatory.”
It was observed earlier that the privileges and facilities received by prison inmates admitted at Sassoon General Hospital for treatment make ward number 16 a favourite languishing place for inmates of Yerawada Central Jail.
From petty criminals to those booked under heinous crimes, all have found ward number 16 a paradise and sometimes an easy escape route. However, SGH authorities claim the security of undertrials and prisoners brought from jail for treatment is the responsibility of the police.
On October 2, Patil escaped from the hospital from where he went to Nashik by a state transport bus. Besides Patil, educationist Vinay Aranha was also admitted in ward number 16 of the hospital following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Former encounter specialist police Inspector Pradeep Sharma was admitted to the hospital on April 15 courted controversy after the NIA claimed that Sharma was fit and has been misusing the hospital facility under the guise of ailments. Besides, a letter was also received by the court from a man, who claimed to be a former police official, informing that Sharma was fit and did not require hospitalisation.
The federal agency told the court that the former encounter specialist and dismissed police officer Sharma had been admitted to Sassoon Hospital for over 40 days and had been misusing the liberty by meeting visitors, both convicted and wanted accused. The NIA court had directed the Yerawada jail superintendent to obtain a report on whether Sharma arrested in Antilia bomb scare case and murder of businessman Mansukh Hiren actually needed hospitalisation.
