more-in Mumbai: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Maharashtra State Commission for Women after the alleged custodial death of Manjula Shette, has submitted a report to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. While the 14-page report has not gone into the circumstances that led to the death, it has recommended a slew of prison reforms, which include improving facilities, ensuring regular medical treatment, and sensitisation of prison officials and staff. Chief among its recommendations is to look into overcrowded prisons. Thane jail is the most overcrowded, which has 101 women prisoners, while its capacity is 25. The SIT has asked for more prisons to reduce the burden. It has also suggested transferring inmates who have got bail to less-crowded prisons and reducing the number of years served for a transfer to an open jail from five years to three years. In the aftermath of Shette’s death, inmates protested against the administration, during which, the report said, 13 prison officials and staff were injured. The report has also not gone deep into the revolt. But it has suggested taking steps to avoid such incidents like shifting inmates from their barracks regularly, periodic training for jail officials on human rights and prisoners’ rights, providing psychological help to the inmates, and installation of CCTV cameras in all the barracks. It has also recommended that district courts take complaints of inmates via videoconferencing. It has asked for all vacant posts in the prison department to be filled. It has suggested a separate smoking zone for prisoners and a speedy extradition of foreign inmates. The SIT was formed on July 4 and is headed by justice (retired) Anand Nirgude. It includes former Director General of Police Pravin Dixit and Dr. Anjali Deshpande.

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