Mumbai: To keep a check on the anti-social activities of inmates across Maharashtra jails, not only surprise visits of officials but also a team of dog squad will make a visit to the jail.
Despite having high security, the inmates, by bribing the jail staff or using the undertrial inmates as godowns, smuggle the drugs items inside the jail. However, to curb down the usage of drugs inside the jail a surprise trained dog squad visit has been started across Maharashtra jails.
Additional Director General of Police and Inspector General of Prisons Atul Kulkarni recently issued a circular to all the 47 central and district jails across Maharashtra. "The circular was issued by the ADG to carry out a dog squad visit inside the jail. The trained dog of an anti-narcotic substance will help to keep a curb on the anti-social activities inside jails and barracks. The visits had already been started across the jails," Ankush Shinde, Deputy Inspector General, Prison.
After the circular was issued a dog search was carried out on Wednesday in Thane Central Jail and 10 days ago in Adharwadi Jail in Kalyan. The Arthur Road Jail i.e Mumbai Central Jail and Byculla Women Jail are yet to carry out the same.
Sources from the Maharashtra prison said as per the procedure. Every superintendent of the jails is writing to the police commissionerate in the jurisdiction they have the jail. Like after the Thane central jail officials wrote to the Thane police commissionerate. A team of dog squad from the commissionerate had a surprise visit. "The dog squad visits the barrack and circles inside the jail. Usually, during a manual visit, the drugs are illegally taken inside. It is either hidden or cannot be traced. But the trained dog will detect the drugs anywhere. Also, the frequent visit will create a threat situation among the inmates who are scared to keep it with them or nearby," said a police officer from the Maharashtra prison.
Sources from the jail stated the visit of the train dogs inside a jail is a good initiative to keep a curb on anti-social activities.
