Dismissed police officer Sachin Waze approached court on Thursday with a peculiar request. In a two-page handwritten plea, Waze who has been lodged at Taloja Central Jail, said that he wants permission to adopt a kitten who lives in his prison cell and hand it over for better care to his family outside. Waze told the court that a cat in the prison had delivered a litter in the yard he is lodged in. The plea said that one of the kittens — named Jhumka after a a song from the recent film Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani — is weak and requires better care. He submitted that this was not possible within prison and he wants to adopt the kitten and hand it over to his family. "In Taloja jail, in the yard of the applicant (Waze), one cat delivered kittens of which one cat Jhumka is weak and needs personal attention on humanitarian grounds. The applicant is an animal lover and adopted dogs and cats in post and duly taken care by the family," the plea said. He prayed that directions be given to the jail authorities to permit him to adopt the kitten and send it to his home on humanitarian grounds. The request led to a discussion on felines in prison and whether they belong to the jail authorities. The court sought for a response from Taloja jail on Waze's plea. Officials said that many cats and dogs are known to frequent and stay within the jail’s premises, with undertrials often taking care of them by feeding and petting them. Waze has been in Taloja jail since 2021 in connection with his alleged involvement in the Antilia terror scare and murder of Thane-resident Mansukh Hiran.
