Transporting criminals a risky business for Mumbai police

The police take a huge risk while transporting underworld gangsters from one jail to another jail or escorting them from prison to hospital for a check-up.

They also have to endure jail inmates’ tantrums and threats.
The Thane crime branch officer cited the example of gangster Chhota Shakeel’s right hand man Firoz Sarguru alias Firoz Konkani, prime accused in the murder of BJP MLA Ramdas Nayak.

In 1995, he was to be shifted from Thane Central Jail to Kolhapur Central Jail. But he refused to sit in the police van and then threatened police officers. “He would band his head on the van if they force him to sit in the van and blame the police for assaulting him. The police took an hour to pacify him,” he said.

The police did not have a moment’s rest or break till they reached Kolhapur district jail.

In 1999, three Arun Gawli gang members were to be shifted from Thane Central Jail to Nashik Central Jail.

During the four-hour journey, the gangsters stopped the police van five times for some pretext or the other. The escort team was tense throughout the journey.