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ShareMumbai: There is just one thing in the mind of Mumbai's security agencies. To give maximum protection to Mohammed Ajmal Amir, the lone 26/11 terrorist caught alive.
Currently lodged in the high-security aanda cell at Arthur Road Jail, he is such a prized catch that that even the likes of Abu Salem and Arun Gawli are now insignificant.
Perceiving potential threat to Ajmal, the state government is planning to build an underground tunnel, which will lead to the special bulletproof cell, being constructed in the Tada court premises behind the prison. He is likely to be shifted there in a couple of months.
The jail administration has decided to shift the likes of DK Rao, the right-hand man of fugitive gangster Chhota Rajan, Salem,Gawli, 2008 Malegoan blasts accused and members of Indian Mujahideen to Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai.
Costing Rs80 crore, the sprawling prison that was inaugurated last year, has been built with the aim to decongest the overcrowded city prisons, particularly Arthur Road jail. With an official capacity of 2,427 inmates, the jail can lodge 100 prisoners in its high-security cell.
Apart from the 16 prisoners lodged in the aanda cell and Arthur Road, 500 more arrested in cases ranging from robbery and petty theft to murder were shifted to Taloja over the weekend.
However, with the high-profile prisoners in Taloja, the cops will have their work cut out. Rao, Salem, the members of the Indian Mujahideen will have to be brought to Mumbai at regular intervals for court hearings. It will require many a policeman to escort them to and from Mumbai. The jail authorities are likely to request for permission to have video conferencing on trial days to avoid the hassle.
The shifting of prisoners to Taloja also spells inconvenience for relatives, especially those who have permission for home-cooked food. They will now have to travel all the way to Navi Mumbai to deliver the meals. Arthur Road jail guards too will be sulking as there will no more be bribes for letting the high-profile prisoners flout the rules.
