The main subject of discussion at the crime conference held by Mumbai Police Wednesday was the attack on gangster Abu Salem inside the Taloja Central Jail by fellow inmate Devendra Jagtap. Somedecisions were taken after the attack was discussed at length,including a restructuring of the police escort system. Officers said the police would take a closer look at police escorts taking inmates to court,after it came to light that Jagtap met accomplice Manoj Lamhane during court appearances and planned the attack on Salem. Lamhane even facilitated a phone call between Jagtap and Chhota Shakeel. The escorts are provided by the Local Arms division. Escorts will now be provided on a rotational basis,so the same personnel do not escort the same inmate twice. A proper rota will be worked out. There will also be a study of escorts provided to gang-related inmates to see if there is a pattern,and if there is,it will be further analysed, said an officer who did not wish to be named. Officers will also check whether escorts have deliberately repeated their rounds. They will study all court visits in the past one year,looking for common dates where two gangsters may have had an opportunity to interact. Sources said police will also check for any provision in the law which can allow video recording inside the court till the CCTV project comes into effect. The DCPs of all zones were told to instruct their stations to start gathering intelligence. All police stations have been instructed to question their sources to find out how people associated to various gangs are reacting to the incident, said an officer.
