Pune scamster Hasan Ali lodged in high security ‘anda cell’

On confining Khan in the special cell,Inspector General (Prisons) Surinder Kumar said,”Assessing the seriousness of the threat Khan is facing,he was put in this special cell.

Khan is not being allowed to mingle with other inmates and as per the court orders,he is getting home-made food.”

Khan was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 17 after the Supreme Court cancelled the bail granted to him by a trial court. For seven days,Khan was in ED’s custody and then shifted to Arthur Road jail.

In March last week,Khan alleged he was getting threats from Tapuria.

“Khan is facing serious criminal charges and we do not want to take any risk when it comes to his security,” Surinder added.

On March 29,the Supreme Court had directed the Central and the Maharashtra governments to provide adequate protection to Khan and his family.

Many hardcore criminals and underworld members are also lodged in the Arthur Road jail and due to security reasons,Khan was not being allowed to mingle with anybody,another official said on condition of anonymity.

“After Kasab’s security,Khan’s protection is our priority,” the official added.

In July last year,Abu Salem,extradited from Portugal five years ago to face trial,was injured in an alleged attack by Mustafa Dossa,a close aide of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim,in the jail.

After the assault,Salem was shifted to the Taloja Jail in Navi Mumbai,while Dossa was moved to the Thane Central Prison.

In September last year,Salem’s aide Mohammed Mehndi Hassan,an undertrial in the 1995 murder of builder Pradeep Jain,suffered injuries after allegedly being attacked by a sharp-edged weapon in the jail.