Gujarat may soon have one more Joint Interrogation Centre

Home Minister Amit Shah said: “As had been proposed by the state police’ intelligence department,we are planning to have a second JIC in Gujarat soon. The details of the proposal are under consideration.”

Gujarat remains vulnerable to cross-border infiltration along its 1,600-km-long coastline,which was exploited by the terrorists carrying out the Mumbai terror attacks last year.

Shah refused to divulge further details,but sources in the state police said that the proposal to have one more JIC in the state was first mooted in 2003. “Despite several amendments and reminders since then,it is for the first time that the state government has responded positively,” said an officer in the state intelligence department on condition of anonymity.

The JIC at Bhuj is almost perennially filled to more than twice its actual capacity,while the

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Gujarat may soon have one more Joint Interrogation Centre

new JIC is proposed to have state-of-the-art interrogation cells and capacity to house more than 200 foreigners detained for illegal stay in the country.

An official said: “The JIC at Bhuj is spread over an area of 100 square metres. It has 12 dormitories and a room for joint interrogation. Against its stipulated capacity of about 50 people,at present,124 people are housed in the restriction centre.”

He said many of these include those who reached Indian shores as stowaways in fishing crafts,with more than 50 of them languishing here for more than a year.

With their respective countries disowning them,the JIC is the only place where they can be kept,he said,adding that delay in the deportation process is the main reason for overcrowding in the JIC.

A state Home Department official said,“Of the 64 new foreigners,who were sent to JIC in Bhuj this year,only 41 were deported back to their country.”

Sources added that state intelligence department has suggested that the new JIC should be set up on a well-connected place near Ahmedabad or Gandhinagar.

“The Central agencies like the Army,Navy,Coast Guard,Border Security Force (BSF),IB,Special Bureau,Customs and state agencies like the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Gujarat Police are centred mainly in these two cities. We have suggested that the new JIC should be set up at an area,where officers from these agencies and state police can reach within two hours.”

He,however,added: “But we have recommended that the JIC should not be set up in Ahmedabad as the headquarters of most of the media houses in the state are located here.”