The Mumbai sessions court on Thursday allowed former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) chief Saji Mohan, an accused in a major drug-peddling case, to carry his own razor inside the prison.
Another accused in the case, Vicky Oberoi, who later turned approver, informed the court that recently he came to know that one HIV positive person had been lodged in the same prison. Oberoi said jail authorities make around 25 undertrials sit in a line and a barber shave their beards with the same blade.
In 2010, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had recovered 12 kg of pure heroin, allegedly smuggled from Pakistan via Jammu and Kashmir, from Mohan. According to the ATS, during his tenure as NCB chief in Chandigarh, Mohan would pilfer seized drugs and sell them to peddlers, including Vicky Oberoi, in various cities.
On Thursday, Oberoi informed the court that inmates are now growing their beard to avoid the transfer of any life-threatening disease. Mohan's advocate Shekhar Bhandari said, "The court has allowed the application filed by my client and has allowed him to take a razor inside the prison."
However, Meeran Borwankar, Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra Prisons Department, said, "We strictly go by the government's rule book, which has directed us to provide different blade to every prisoner. As far as I know, we do implement it in Mumbai prisons. Jail officials make 10 prisoners sit in line and provide the barber with 10 blades. I will be able to properly comment on the matter only after going through the court's order."
Carrying own razors not advisable: Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi, former DGP of Delhi, who was in charge of Tihar jail, said it is mandatory to keep up the hygiene level of prisoners since they are in the custody of jail authorities.
Jails should also take proper care of prisoners' medication as well as food. Bedi, who is known for her jail reforms, said as far as razors and blades are concerned, rules prescribe the use of separate blades and that they should be disposed of the way surgical needles are disposed. Bedi said if prisoners are allowed to take sharp objects along, it can cause security threats , as the accused can attempt to hurt himself.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}