‘Saw a Biker Throw a Plastic Bag Over the Prison Wall’- Mayor Kavitha

‘Saw a Biker Throw a Plastic Bag Over the Prison Wall’- Mayor Kavitha

Mangaluru: ‘I Saw a Biker Throw a Plastic Bag Over the Prison Wall’- had said MCC Mayor Kavitha Sanil speaking about the incident that took place couple of weeks ago. Recalling the story-While mayor was travelling in her car through Jail Road, she saw that a man who came near the prison on a motor bike and threw something that was packed in a plastic sachet, into the prison. Although the mayor tried to chase and identify him, the man succeeded in fleeing. The mayor later informed the city police commissioner about this incident. Okay, now in spite of this incident, what measures have been initiated by the police in response to the mayor’s complaint, in preventing such acts happening again. I guess-NOTHING!

Because once again on 15 September, yet another similar kind of incident took place.would be a matter of interest for the general public. Recalling the incident- Barke police Police arrested a man named Divakar when he was supplying ganja to his son, Rakshith Gowda, who has been jailed relating to a criminal case. Divakar was caught red-handed after police received reliable information, while he was tossing a packet containing ganja and paracetamol tablets to his son over the wall of the district prison here from the compound of District Institute of Education and Training in the adjoining compound. The police confiscated 60 grams of ganja, six paracetamol tablets and a cellphone in the possession of Divakar. So, with this one more incident following close on its heel to the former one, the question still remains unanswered is that -“Will there be an end to such kind of incidents happening over and over again?”. Probably NOT, the way the law enforcement authorities are turning a blind eye against such acts.

Again added to these two incidents, on 19 September (Today) when Deputy Commissioner of Police Hanumantharaya, under the able guidance of Commissioner of Police T R Suresh, along with 129 police constables and 50 police officers conducted a raid on the district jail, they succeeded in confiscating two Mobiles,Three sharp items, a ganja packet, two hookah type plastic bottles, mobile charger, extension electric cord , among many other illegal items from the jail inmates. How did all these items reach the hands of prison inmates- surely not through through the front gate/door, (where visitors are frisked thoroughly for any contraband items that they try to smuggle into the prison)- surely these items made their way into the prison compound thrown over the compound wall.

Yes, It has happened many times in the past and it has happened once again lately- with the police confiscating contraband articles, mobile phones, and other illegal articles from the under trials lodged in the Mangaluru District Prison. If you look at the location of the Prison, it is not at all secured-with its compound wall (not too high) very close to the road side, and if you look around the surroundings of the prison wall, there are so many trees with their branches spread out very close to the prison compound wall, where anyone could climb these trees and throw objects over the wall into the old prison premises(The pictures in this report will give the clear picture).

The compound wall of the prison is about 30 feet high with electrical fencing over it. It is learnt that there are under-trial prisoners in both the old and new prison buildings. In several raids on the district prison in the past, items like ganja, cellphone, charger, knife, etc had been found with the prisoners. The practice of providing legally banned things and substances to prison inmates here continues unabated even after several raids which detected mobiles, ganja etc in the possession of prisoners. Adding to the incidents happened in the past, these two latest incident proves that these incidents have not stopped- and still continuing- and it comes to limelight when one more such incident takes place. Even in spite of such incident that happened right in front of the eyes of Mayor Kavitha, it seems like there is no stop for such illegal activities. Seems like a Reality Show or a Drama?

District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) office/building which is adjacent to the prison wall, has bunch of trees with its branches reaching very close to the old prison wall- not only trees, one can even throw objects/drugs/weapons from the DIET building which is not far from the prison wall- also there is an old toilet in the DIET compound which is also very close to the prison wall, where one can get on top of it and throw anything into the prison compound- and since the prison wall is not too high there are good chances that objects could be thrown over this wall from outside. The DIET compound even has a bunch of trees, where someone can cling on to the tree branches and toss objects into the prison compound. Even if the prison authorities decide to cut these trees, but according to few staff at the DIET said that trees inside their compound may not be axed down since the land belongs to government, and forest department may not allow to chop these trees which are in the DIET premises. Has the DIG (Prisons) looked into these issues?

Not only the trees could help in getting objects inside the prison compound hall, also that the prison wall which is not so high and located very close to the road-chances are that anyone could get on top of a bus or a lorry and throw objects like drugs, weapons etc. This prison is in a bad location without proper surrounding security. It’s indeed strange to note that in spite of so many fights and untoward incidents taking place inside this prison in the past, still there are no proper high-tech CCTV’s installed. How dumb one could be not to have high-tech security cameras in such a troubled prison, where hardcore prisoners are jailed. Many times when higher prison-in-charge authorities visit the city prison, they promise to install better and more sophisticated CCTVs in the nearest future, and also promise other security measures – but they don’t practice what they preach-until then one has to keep their fingers crossed to see changes materialized.

Even though the DIG of Prisons had promised to construct a new prison building in the outskirts of Mangaluru, which will be built according to the norms of Central Prison, and will house nearly 1000 inmates-having high-security cells, enclosures for women and sheds for convicted persons to engage them in skilled and semi-skilled work etc etc- no one knows when it will start operating. On the other hand, the state government and other concerned officials, including the home minister are neglecting and turning a blind-eye to all the illegal activities going on at the present dist. jail- in between they are all blaming on each other.

But no matter what, this prison which was built in 1904 during British time, when there were only 150 prisons- and now with the increasing number of criminals being lodged in this prison without proper security, it’s advisable that the prison is moved quickly to a better and safer locality-preferably away from the city. If not we will be seeing many more fights, maybe even more deaths inside the prison, and also many contraband articles will make their way into the prison-of course, tossed over the prison wall?