The fight between gangsters Abu Salem and Mustafa Dossa in Arthur Road jail has sparked a two-pronged government initiative: an effort to hire 500 guards to watch prisoners better,and a petition in court to withdraw the luxuries Salem enjoys in jail. The home department says jails have as many vacancies for guards but the finance department had informally frozen recruitment. Home is now taking this up. There is a shortfall of 511 guards in the state. We are looking to fill up these posts. There was a ban of sorts from the finance department on fresh recruitment,but we are taking up the matter with that department, said Medha Gadgil,principal secretary,home (appeals and security). Home officials said the states jails have 23,000 prisoners against a capacity of 21,000. Some jails have space but Arthur Road is crammed and short of 40 class-III guards. In July,Salem was attacked by Dossa with a sharpened spoon,allegedly because he had given jail authorities information on members of the Dawood Ibrahim gang in prison. In September,Salem aide Mehandi Hassan was attacked by members of the Pandav Putra gang,reportedly because he was a key witness in the assault case against Salem. Salem has since been shifted to Taloja jail. During an inspection in Arthur Road jail,the government had found he had access to food and bed linen from home,dumb-bells,clothes,toiletries,a transistor,a table fan,belts,a suitcase and mineral water. Home Minister R R Patil had assured the Assembly these benefits would be withdrawn. His department is now preparing to move court with this request. I have asked the IG (prisons) to prepare to move the court. The minister had assured the House that the benefits given to Salem will be removed. But we cannot take a decision for one case. It has to be a general rule, Gadgil said. Officials said Salem first applied for home food in 2005. Since then,he has been asking for additional benefits and these have been allowed by various courts.
