This will help subdue violence during fights in the state's jails that are filled much beyond capacity, with skeletal staff to control the situation, and prevent it from escalating.
After brawls between gangsters in Maharashtra's jails, including one at Arthur Road jail this week, the state government is thinking of arming prison staff with non-lethal weapons, such as plastic bullets and shields, to control inmates in the event of such incidents.
This will help subdue violence during fights in the state's jails that are filled much beyond capacity, with skeletal staff to control the situation, and prevent it from escalating.
"We will strengthen security in our jails and train our staff. We are also thinking of deploying non-lethal weapons," said a senior state home department official. Such non-lethal weapons could include plastic bullets, plastic shields to separate rioting prisoners, tasers, sprays, water cannons and tear gas.
"Similar systems are in place at jails in Israel and other countries," the official said, adding that the state home department would train prison officers and deploy the equipment in around two months.
This is proposed to be done in the nine central prisons in Maharashtra, especially the "high-density" ones — Arthur Road in Mumbai, Taloja, Yerawada in Pune and Nashik. The existing staff will be trained in the use of these weapons instead of recruiting people for the same.
"We have inadequate staff and, at times, just two constables have to maintain oversight over around 1,000 inmates. These non-lethal weapons will be of great help in disbursing an unruly mob. Otherwise the only option before us is to use force, which is opposed by human rights groups and NGOs," said a senior prisons official, adding that this could replace conventional crowd control measures, like lathi charge, which was indiscriminate and could injure prisoners.
Though CCTVs were installed in most of Maharashtra's 50 jails, they were inadequate when it came to supervising the movements of prisoners.
On Monday, at least four inmates were injured in Arthur Road jail, which houses former deputy chief minister and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, members of the Mumbai underworld and other high-profile inmates, after a clash between undertrials, who used sharpened plates and metal sheets to attack each other. The home department official said an inquiry into the incident was on.
In May, alleged Indian Mujahideen activist Mirza Himayat Baig, who has been sentenced to life, allegedly attacked murder convict Rakesh Daware in the Nagpur Central Jail.
In July 2010, alleged underworld don Abu Salem, who was extradited from Portugal in 2005 and is lodged in the Arthur Road prison in connection with the 1993 bomb blasts in Mumbai, was attacked on the face and neck by another gangster, Mustafa Dossa. In September 2002, Chhota Rajan aide OP Singh was bumped off in Nashik Central Jail by henchmen of another Rajan aide, and in 2010, Mehdi Hassan, said to be a close aide of Salem, was assaulted inside the jail by rival gangsters.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Arthur Road jail")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}