Tihar jail planning to install body scanners for prisoners

Tihar prison is likely to install body scanners to screen inmates to check smuggling of narcotics and restricted items like alcohol inside its premises.

"We are considering installing body scanners inside the prisons so that the inmates can be screened to prevent them from carrying restricted items like drugs and alcohol inside the jail premises," BK Gupta, Director General of Tihar prison said.

Officials said that most of the prisoners lodged inside the jail have a history of addiction to drugs and alcohol.

Despite strict checking, "we have caught prisoners carrying these restricted items inside," Gupta said.

"Prisoners hide these restricted items, which they get from people who come to meet them, inside their body cavities like rectum or earhole which cannot be detected during normal checking," said    Sunil Gupta, law officer of Tihar jail.

Even after security officials at the gates have checked every person properly, these items make their way inside, he said.

The issue came to light after a prisoner's postmorterm report revealed presence of alcohol in blood last year.

"It was surprising as to how alcohol reached inside the jail premises. An inquiry was set up to find out as to how the prisoner had access to alcohol," Gupta said.

Following the inquiry, G S Meena, Deputy Commissioner, West, wrote to the Lieutenant Governor to allow installation of body scanners inside the jail.

The jail authorities have used body scanners on trial basis.

"Body scanners are very expensive. We have used them on trial basis in two prisons," B K Gupta said, adding that no prisoner was caught as they were aware that the body scanner will catch them if they carry any restricted item.

"We are conducting more such trials before we finally decide to install them," he said.

Tihar is one of the largest prison complex in the world comprising nine central prisons and one district prison at Rohini. The total population in ten prisons is around 12,000 prisoners against the sanctioned capacity of 6,250.