In the wake of the sensational jailbreak and alleged encounter of eight SIMI activists in Bhopal, the Union home ministry is preparing a detailed advisory to be sent to all state governments and UTs. It will state that the prison and prisoner security is the responsibility of the state and any laxity on that front could result in serious judicial intervention in the state's role.
The Home ministry's new prison advisory comes at a time when a huge controversy is raging about the genuineness of the Bhopal encounter and the state government constituting a judicial inquiry to probe the circumstances in which the eight SIMI men were gunned down by the Bhopal police.
The MHA will also inform the states that technological devices such as CCTVs and sensors are a must for high-security prisons and top most priority should be accorded to deploy them.
The MHA advisory will also place the mandate upon the states to carry out regular audit of the security systems in place in prisons, sources told THE WEEK.
The MHA will also emphasise on the need to segregate hardened criminals and terrorists from ordinary prisoners so as to ensure a better security ring around them.
Since the Bhopal encounter took place on the intervening night of October 30-31, conflicting versions from police and state home ministry have surfaced, leading to allegations that it might be fake. A judicial probe by retired High Court judge S.K.Pandey is now being conducted.
