Mangalore Sub-jail’s Endless Tale of Woes
Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Jun 15: Mangalore sub-jail has been making news for quite some time now for one reason or the other. While conducting raids and seizing drugs and mobiles phones has become a routine affair in this sub jail, the district jail has also created quite a flutter following the clash between two groups two years back and also due to the hunger strike undertaken by the under trials in August last year demanding better food for the inmates. It is another matter that there was an ulterior motive behind the strike as they wanted the supply of outside food which would make it easy to smuggle drugs and cell phones inside.
Just two weeks back the sub-jail was again in the news as the police team conducted a raid and seized ganja packets, cell phones and mobile chargers from the under-trial inmates of the jail. It is now revealed that these Ganja packets belonged to one of the murder accused in the recent Sullia Medical College murder case. It may be recalled that in mid-May this year following a complaint about irregularities in the jail the police team had conducted a raid and had found drugs and cell phones inside the jail cells.
However, this time around, the jail authorities are confident that the illegal supply of drugs and cell phones to the inmates will soon cease or will be controlled to a great extent as the under-trials will be shifted to the new premises coming up nearby to the existing prison, within the next one or two months. The building is complete except for some minor works which will be completed within the next two months. The new premise is a two-storey and square building and does not have direct access to the main road unlike the existing cell which is on the main road giving access to the public to throw things from above, despite the imposing walls of the prison.
Asst Jail Superintendent P S Ambekar says “with the shifting of the inmates to the new building we are confident that the illegal supply of all sorts of drugs and cell phones will be curtailed considerably”. He agrees that the inmates are getting a regular supply of drugs and even cell phones mainly from their acolytes who throw small packets of drugs wrapped in plastic with a small stone packed inside the packet from above the prison wall.
Even cell phones neatly wrapped (not to cause damage) are believed to be ‘thrown’ inside the high prison walls from above as the prison wall is unguarded most of the time for shortage of jail staff. The long stretch of the sub-jail wall goes along the main road and therefore it is convenient for the cahoots of the inmates to ‘throw’ necessary things inside the prison wall and the availability of the cell phones makes the job all the more easier to convey the message to the right person. It is believed that a strategy is worked out when visitors are allowed to meet the prisoners once a week.
According to the Asst Superintendent in the square-shaped new premises, which is spread over a smaller area than the present one, anything thrown inside the high walls would fall in the centre of the premises which can be traced easily by the staff. Therefore, it is easy to ensure that such ‘flying missiles’ don’t fall into the hands of the persons for whom it was meant for. This would also desist the acolytes of those inmates who have been supplying this to them, from taking any risk that might further hamper their trial. Of course, even police raids may not result in everything being confiscated as the inmates have found ingenious ways of hiding them on roofs or even bury them in mud after wrapping them in a plastic cover. Moreover, it is not easy to trace who such things belong to if they are recovered from roof tops or other hideaways.
Ambekar who took charge as Asst Superintendent of the Mangalore sub-jail four months ago staunchly denies the accusation that the jail staff might be hand in glove with the under trials which enables them to possess drugs and mobile phones. According to him the only way such things could get inside is when outsiders throw them from above the wall from main road. The inmates are usually free for an hour between 7 and 8 am and again from 9.30 to 11 am. In the afternoon they are free from 3.30 to 5 pm. “The chances of packets of drugs or mobiles being thrown inside the wall are very high during this time as it is the most convenient time”, asserts Ambekar. He also asserts that thorough security check is done on the visitors and therefore such a conduit of supply is ruled out completely.
The jail authorities have been managing the affairs of the jail with limited staff. Though the actual strength of the jail should have been 40 the prison is now managed by only 15 employees and most of the troubles of the prison can be traced to the acute shortage of the staff. The post of Chief Jailor and that of the Jailor is vacant. In the sanctioned posts of 19 wardens there are only 4 wardens, out of which two are women, which mean that there is a shortage of 15 wardens. The administration of the jail now is carried on mainly with the help of 6 head Wardens.
Due to the shortage of staff guarding the long stretch of prison wall along the main road has fallen on the shoulders of a single jail staff, which is not an easy task. Though the prison should have a doctor and even a pharmacist, the posts are vacant and every time any inmate is ill he/she has to be taken to the hospital, thus adding to the burden of the existing staff.
The sub-jail which has a capacity of 150 prisoners at present houses nearly 250 inmates, all of them (except two short term convicted) are under-trials. Ambekar says that there is enough space to house nearly 300 people in this jail. But the major problem is lack of staff which is proving to be a major tumbling block as far as the administration of the prison is concerned. Though the matter has been brought to the notice of the concerned officials, nothing substantial has been done to fill the vacant posts in the sub-jail.
Prison officials are also facing a daunting task in sending the under trials to the court due to lack of escort police. Usually police from District Armed Reserve police are sent as escort for these under trials. But DAR itself is facing shortage of staff and it is unable to send its police to escort. Everyday 10 to 20 under trials are required to go to the court and there are instances when under-trials could not attend the case due to lack of escort.
Apart from managing the sub-jail with minimum staff, the jail officials live in a deplorable condition. The staff says that their quarters are not maintained or repaired for the last 8 to 10 years. Though the maintenance of quarters is the task of PWD, it has been trying to shirk its responsibility saying it has no funds for undertaking the job. Some staff got the quarters repaired at their own cost as there was no other alternative.
Let us hope the new premises would bring good omen to the jail officials whose hands are brimful with never ending problems and troubles.