NAGPUR: Central jail authorities are now in dire straits with the anti-crime drives and preventive actions heavily pushing up the number of inmates at the barracks which have already crossed the upper limit by more than 500.
Various technical issues related to e-filing of cases at the district court, along with Covid-related restrictions on timings and online appearances, have slowed down the bail processes too, aggravating the woes of the jail authorities.
The Nagpur central jail, having a capacity of around 1, 840 inmates, is currently housing around 2,350, triggering yet another fear of Covid outbreak.
The high power committee, instituted by the high court, had earlier issued directions to release inmates on the basis of certain criteria to de-congest jails. Despite the release of more than 10,000 prisoners on special Covid norms, there had been repeated outbreaks of the virus at the jails across Maharashtra.
The power to release prisoners was delegated to prison superintendents by the top brass of the jail authorities. Despite the release of several inmates by Nagpur central jail superintendent Anup Kumre, his plans to de-congest the prison has so far fallen flat.
On the contrary, Kumre sounded tense as the barracks are housing excess numbers of inmates than they could accommodate. “Though we have undertaken the vaccine drive and taken other precautions, still the crowded barracks pose a threat of yet another viral spread due to high congestion,” said Kumre.
With the overflowing population of the inmates inside the Nagpur central jail, the authorities are reeling under the apprehension of yet another infection spread.
Clashes inside the over-crowded barracks between rival gangs and goons have added yet another concern for the jail authorities. The last couple of months had witnessed repeated fights inside the jail.
Following threats to some gangsters’ lives and their rivalries, the Nagpur central jail authorities transferred many inmates to other prisons in Maharashtra as a safety measure.
According to sources, the jail is teeming with inmates as the numbers of those stepping out on bail has reduced considerably. “Earlier, there used to be a release of around 30-35 inmates daily on bail. Now, the number of bail release has come down to less than five,” said sources.
“There had been a steady incoming of inmates as the police department had been undertaking drives to nab criminals and put them behind bars to check the crime rate,” said the official.
