Poornima Swaminathan / DNA
Mumbai, Sep 6: Arthur Road jail is set to change for the better. No more the relatives of some 3,000 undertrials lodged there will have to jostle for space in a cramped cubicle to catch a glimpse of their loved ones at the time of mulakaat (fixed slots for kin to meet inmates).
Instead, they would be sitting in adjoining rooms and interacting without any hassle through closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs).
To make this possible, two adjoining rooms have been built inside the jail premises, fitted with CCTV cameras. The project, worth Rs 4 lakh, is expected to become operational this week. Currently, mulakaat is allowed twice a day for a two-hour period. The current system will, however, remain for those who want a face-to-face mulakaat.
Policemen posted at the jail too are happy with the arrangement as they would no more have to be on their toes during mulakaats.
“The new system will ensure that relatives have a peaceful meeting with their kin lodged in jail. It will help us curtail the chaos and make the procedure hassle-free,” said SP Yadav, Deputy Inspector General (Prisons).
The CCTVs will also enable jail authorities to record conversations between undertrials and visitors. The arrest of Rajesh Hatankar (35), a trusted lieutenant of extradited gangster Abu Salem, has revealed that Hatankar regularly met Salem in Arthur Road prison and carried out murders and extortion activities at his behest.
“We will record the conversations. It will help us to keep tab on criminal activities carried from the prison,” said another jail official.
The law allows every undertrial to meet relatives and friends once a week for 10 minutes. Another upgradation to the present system will be the launch of a website where relatives can seek a prior appointment.
Spiritual recourse for inmates: Jain seer Gurudev Jayprabha Vijayjee addressed more than 400 undertrials at the Arthur Road Prison on Wednesday.
“Several inmates had requested for a religious discourse during the Jain festival of Paryushan Parva,” said Govind Patil, assistant jailor the prison.