DK district jail precariously houses double it’s capacity
Mangalore Today News Network
Mangaluru, Mar 15 2017: DK district jail in the heart of Mangaluru city has often come into the limelight more often; the recent escape of an undertrial from the jail accentuates the problems plaguing this jail. Shortage of staff, lack of proper security and improper location.
The Karnataka government and the prisons department seem to be fully in the know of the serious lacunae the jail is riddled with, yet it does not seem that much has been done to pre-empt and correct. Last weeks jailbreak is a first in 26 years, the inmate has just been caught in Sullia; a similar incident was reported in 1991.
The Jail’s superintendent V Krishnamurthy is reported to have said, "For a while now two prisons are being run by us here, old and new, prison staff is seriously short. The government sanctioned Karnataka State Industrial Security Force staff last year, but they are unable to fully take charge."
About that undertrial’s escape recently, Superintendent Krishnamurthy said he was not authorized to make a public statement and desisted.
On the condition of anonymity a person aware of matetrs is reported to have said this DK district prison houses 425 persons, including 14 women undertrials (total: 439)as against its capacity of 210; that is more than double. Undertrials are crammed into cells, there are incidents like faction feuds between gangsters who frequently cross paths during their detention.
The M’luru jail has witnessed several untoward happenings in past two years. Isubu and Ganesh were associates of underworld don Chhota Shakeel, said to be a rival of Vikki. The incident set off clashes between supporters of Isubu and Ganesh and the five, leaving Shobraj grievously injured.
In November 2015, five henchmen of Akashbhavan Sharan, an associate of fugitive Vikki Shetty, attacked Madoor Isubu, 41, and his friend Ganesh Shetty, 45, with sharp-edged weapons when the duo was outside their perimeter block, fatally assaulting them. The five were lodged in jail as undertrials.
The other incidents include smuggling of ganja into the prison by associates of undertrials, relatives and friends. Such cases are regularly booked at the jurisdictional Barke police station. "And we often hear about witnesses throwing food packets and other consumables into the jail. This is easy to carry out because the location of the jail lends itself into a perfect platform," a third prison personnel TOI spoke to said on condition of anonymity.
Staffing : Sources with due knowledge said the prison department, ordered a high-level probe into the escape of undertrial Jinappa Parava, 37, seems to feel the jail staff are at fault. Belagavi division DIG T P Shesha conducted the probe.
"The report said night duty staff present at the spot were asleep when Jinappa made good his escape. CCTV footage shows the incident took place at 3.39am," such a situation in precarious to the law and order of the land.