Day after gangster Tillu’s killing, Delhi prisons dept under scanner over security concerns

On Tuesday, Tillu was killed allegedly by four rival gangsters, said police. They had allegedly climbed down to the ground floor and attacked Tillu. Prison officials said security personnel arrived within 5-8 minutes.

“There are limited staffers and only 4-5 of them are stationed in the CCTV room. Imagine looking at footage of 970 + cameras. It’s exhausting. Our officers still managed to reach within a few minutes. They couldn’t control the attack and for that, we will take suitable action after enquiry. We are working on Artificial Intelligence based cameras and intelligent software which will catch offenders and alert surveillance teams,” said an official. The AI cameras will be installed in the next 2-3 months, said officials.

Delhi Prisons officials are seeking real-time information on activities of organised crime syndicates and gangsters, so their jailed associates can be put in different jails and provided with better security. To avoid gang rivalry in prison, the department will work with Delhi Police’s Special Cell and district police to gather information about activities of local gangs.

Another challenge for prison guards is frisking thousands of prisoners and catching weapons and mobiles, said officials. “We can’t conduct regular checks at every cell. It’s impossible. We conducted checks and seized weapons on April 12. Improvised weapons—blades and knives were made a day before the incident. It’s easy for inmates to make these weapons. The four accused had picked up pieces of exhaust fans and utensils to make blades and knives. They use metal and stones to sharpen these. Even if we catch them, they make weapons again and hide them,” said an officer.

On Wednesday, DG Prisons Sanjay Beniwal held a meeting with all jail guards, and personnel of Tamil Nadu special force and ITBP about shifting gangsters from same gangs to different jails. Sources said there will be a reassessment of postings and deployment based on merit (of officers) and ward’s requirement. “We have a list of VIP and high-risk inmates. In the coming days, they will also be shifted to other cells. We are in touch with Special Cell to ascertain threat perception in and around jails,” said the officer. As per records, 53 searches were held in April and 32 non-sharpened and 22 sharpened weapons were seized from jail no. 8.