Let ITBP continue to guard Kasab: state to Centre

During the trial,Mumbai Police handled the overall security of the prison while the ITBP men were mandated with a single-point task — guarding Kasab. The Anda Cell (egg-shaped cell) that houses Kasab is surrounded by about four dozen ITBP men. The rest of the men guard the prison’s periphery and other key locations. The ITBP has sent some of its best personnel on this assignment despite that the force finds itself in a bit of a quandary for having to guard a terrorist lodged inside a high-security prison cell.

Kasab,who has been awarded a death sentence on five counts and life sentence in four counts,continues to be lodged in the Arthur Road Jail. Officials said he would be shifted to some other jail in the state after the court vacation,depending on the need for his presence for court proceedings. “We want minimum exposure of Kasab. We will take a decision based on the court requirement. He will be shifted out for sure,but it is not yet decided. Meanwhile,security will have to be beefed up at the jail to which he is to be shifted,” the official said.

Kasab was first moved to the anda cell inside Arthur Road Jail from the Mumbai Police Crime Branch’s lockup at Crawford Market on February 17 last year. With intelligence inputs suggesting a threat to his life from underworld elements,elaborate and expensive arrangements were made to ensure his security.

A special explosives and bullet-resistant cell was constructed inside the jail at an estimated cost of Rs 2 crore,and Kasab has been lodged there in solitary confinement till date. After careful consideration,the ITBP was requisitioned for guarding Kasab,with the state government having to pay the agency for its services.

According to sources in the Prisons Department,various logistical and security-related issues will dictate the decision on where to shift Kasab. Usually,convicts on death row are sent to Yerwada Jail in Pune or Nagpur Central Jail. However,shifting him out to one of these prisons and bringing him back to Mumbai for appearances before the High Court exposes him to security risks. Security arrangements at either of the two prisons outside the city would have to be revisited if Kasab were to be shifted out.