26 inmates file a petition in the Delhi high court alleging threats and harassment
NEW DELHI: Inmates of Asia’s largest prison, the high-security Tihar in the capital, are on a knife-edge, or shall we say blade-edge. The prison with over 10,000 inmates, including several high-profile ones, has been held hostage by a handful of criminals who harass fellow prisoners with blades.
Though the presence of the “bladebaaz gangs”, as they are known, in the jail has been long speculated, a petition filed in a local court seeks to confirm it.
Such is the fear of these gangs that even high-profile prisoners hope they don’t have to face them. Not so long ago, former Congress member and Dawood henchman Romesh Sharma and former cop SS Rathi (serving a life sentence in the Connaught Place shootout case) had claimed threat from the gangs.
Nearly 26 Tihar inmates recently wrote to the chief justice of the Delhi high court and Patiala House, alleging frequent attacks by the gangs. They gave various reasons for the attacks, from extortion to refusing menial jobs.
The petitioners include Tariq Ahmed Dar, charged in the Delhi Diwali blast case, and mafia don Fazlur Rehman, accused of murder, extortion and kidnapping.
The petition alleges the gangs operate with the help of certain jail officials. “Jail inmates cannot possess blades, knives, surgical blades and other such sharp weapons. But several instances of attacks on some inmates by these gangs have been reported. It’s obvious some prison officials are allowing banned items into the jail for these gangs,” M Khan, the petitioners’ lawyer, said.
Senior officials in Tihar confirmed the presence two ‘blade gangs’ in the prison but said their activities were now under a scanner.
“Gangs led by habitual offenders Mohd Sheru and Vijay Singh would pick up fights in the jail whenever the chance. They slowly instilled a fear among the other inmates. However, the gangs have now been segregated and will be kept in different premises,” said a jail official.
Both the gangs, with over 10 members each, would attack each other on the jail premises and while being taken to court. They would also harass other inmates of the prison and sometimes extort money from them, a source revealed.
Jail authorities have now sought permission from the district judge to allow some gang members to be always kept in fetters (chained and handcuffed).
Responding to the petition, the court has asked the jail authorities to file a detailed report on the allegations on May 12.
y_puneet@dnaindia.net
