Nagpur jail break-in aftermath: 'Appoint former servicemen to guard jails'

This include appointment of ex-servicemen for security, involvement of local police stations, increase the number of jail doctors and erecting watch-towers that will improve security in jails.

In the wake of the Nagpur jail break-in this March, the committee formulated to examine the changes needed has recommended a slew of measures. This include appointment of ex-servicemen for security, involvement of local police stations, increase the number of jail doctors and erecting watch-towers that will improve security in jails.

The state government was embarrassed after five inmates escaped from Nagpur jails in March end this year. Since this was a serious breach of security, the state government asked a committee headed by anti-corruption bureau (ACB) chief Pravin Dixit to look into the lapses in security which led to the incident and to make recommendation to improve it.

As per sources the primary recommendations include – checking of prisons by locals police, along with setting up of watch towers, search lights and giving binoculars to the prison staff.

It was also recommended that there was a need to increase of doctors in the prison to examine the inmates. This would ensure that the visits to hospitals outside will be reduced. A major benefit of this would be to stop the exposure of the inmates to the outside world. As per sources, on many occasions, it was the visits to hospitals and courts in which the inmates smuggled articles or passed messages to their friends for malpractices. The recommendations also include usage of video conferencing of the under trails with the concerned courts. Video-conferencing is currently used at many prisons in the state.

The committee also recommended filling vacant posts of the prison department such as guards and constables to ensure enhanced patrolling. It also stated that ex-servicemen should be appointed at some of the posts to enhance security and chalk out measures to stop jail break-ins.

Also recruitment for some posts of the prison department and police department which are equal in rank, should be made together. As per sources, some of the recommendations were accepted by the state government for all the jails in the state.