In a bid to ensure safety of arrested JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar inside the prison, unprecedented security measures have been taken at the Tihar Jail — ranging from locking up of all inmates of Ward No. 4 and a security cover of a quick response team while he is taken out of his cell.
After his police custody, Mr Kumar was moved back to Tihar Jail on Friday night where special prisons staff and Tamil Nadu special police personnel were deployed outside his cell to ensure maximum security and thwart any physical assault on the student leader in view of his assault by some lawyers at the Patiala House courts complex last week.
Among the stringent security measures at the Tihar prison complex are that all inmates of Ward No. 4 are locked up when Mr Kumar is taken out of the cell and a quick response team is present whenever the student leader is taken out of the ward.
An order to this effect, issued by additional inspector-general (prisons) Mukesh Prasad, said: “The food and eatables etc. provided to the inmate shall be checked by the medical officer. Any other item provided to the inmate shall be thoroughly checked from security and safety point of view. No unauthorised person shall be allowed to meet the inmate.”
The order makes it clear that Mr Kumar should be visited twice a day by the deputy superintendents. The order also urges officials to explore that the possibility of video conferencing for production of Mr Kumar before the court. It said: “No inmate or unauthorised personnel be allowed near the inmate in order to prevent any physical assault or hurling of verbal abuse upon him. The superintendent of CJ-3 shall sensitise inmates and prison staff in order to ensure safe custody of inmate Kanhaiya.”
In another order, the superintendent said that the door of Mr Kumar’s cell should be locked round-the-clock. It said: “Gate of the cell will be opened as and when required only, in the presence of the assistant superintendent with prior permission of at least deputy superintendent. Prisoner Kanhaiya will be opened only after locking up all other prisoners of this ward.”
The order said whenever the JNU student leader is taken out of the ward, he should be accompanied by the deputy superintendent on duty as well as the assistant superintendent along with sufficient force and a quick reaction team. the order made it clear that apart from the routine security, two constables and one warder shall be stationed round-the-clock in front of the JNUSU leader’s jail cell.
