Salem not disclosing exact reason behind attack: Top cop

A day after gangster Abu Salem was shot at in Taloja jail, Inspector General of Prisons and Additional Director General of Police, Meeran Chadha Borwankar, said she herself has questioned Salem and he has cited eight to ten possible reasons behind the attack.

She said that all the reasons cited by Salem were flimsy and suspected that he was trying to mislead the jail and police authorities.

Speaking to dna, Borwankar said, “After the incident, I myself questioned Salem on the reasons behind the attack. He gave me eight to ten possible reasons, which cannot be believed at this stage.” Borwankar said that the Mumbai police crime branch is probing the case and the jail officials will help them in the investigations.

When asked whether Salem was threatened or attacked before the shootout at Taloja jail, Borwankar said, “He has not claimed anything like that.”

On how a gangster lodged inside the jail could lay his hands on the arm used to attack Salem, especially when every visitor is frisked at the main gate of the jail, Borwankar said, “It is a serious matter. We are probing how the arm was smuggled inside the jail.”

When asked about the security of the jails in the state, Borwankar said, “The work of installing door frame metal detectors at the jails is already on. Besides, the jail staff will be given hand metal detectors in the future.”

Borwankar claimed that Bharat Nepali gang member and sharp shooter Devendra Jagtap alias JD, who shot at Salem twice in the jail, was taken to the court on Thursday.

“When he returned from the court, he must have brought the weapon inside the jail. The checking should have been done properly at the main gate. Action will be taken against the policemen who escorted Jagtap to the court and back to the jail,” she added.