The Director General of Police, K. Ramanujam on Monday expressed concern over the prevailing situation in jails in the State that gave scope for criminals to gather together and plan more crimes.
“Our prisons are hubs for criminals. There, all criminals get to together, form a group, share notes and plan offences,” he observed, while delivering an address on the occasion of Human Rights Day Celebrations organised by the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC).
Lambasting the system prevalent in the prison, Mr. Ramanujam said: “In a day, a murder case accused is locked up in a prison cell only for eight hours. For about 16 hours, they are free and let out into open yard, where all criminals are able to mingle with one another, exchange ideas, share notes and later carry out offences. This is the kind of freedom available to prisoners.”
Tracing the change of pattern in gruesome murder cases, he said he had not heard about gruesome murders taking place in Kancheepuram. Traditionally (it happened) in Ramanathapuram.
“One group chopped a guy recently. Now, I find gruesome murders taking place in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Chengalpet areas.”
While granting conditional bail to criminals arrested in some ordinary cases, they were asked to stay in Chengalpattu. There, they came into contact with other criminal gangs. “We recently busted a gang. The intelligence, State police, city police worked together overnight and caught eight of them. They were planning very serious offences like dacoity and carrying weapons. The mastermind is in prison” added the DGP. Doraiswamy Raju, former judge of the Supreme Court, K. Baskaran, acting chairperson of SHRC, spoke.
