Refurbished Arthur Rd cell waits for ‘fugitives’
MUMBAI: For almost two years, Arthur Road jail authorities have tried to make sure that cell number 2, barrack number 12 remain in prime condition after having it refurbished in June 2019, in anticipation that it would one day be occupied by a high-profile inmate, may be a fugitive businessman like Nirav Modi or Vijay Mallya.
On Thursday, Modi lost his bid to avoid extradition from the UK to India to face charges that he was involved in a ₹13,600 crore fraud at Punjab National Bank when district judge Samuel Goozee ruled in London that the jeweller has a case to answer before Indian courts.
Jail authorities said the 300sq feet cell has been made to provide its inmate the facilities of a well-equipped apartment with French windows for ventilation and a view of the exterior. It has an attached toilet and a shower with roundthe-clock water supply. Walls of the cell have been painted a soothing white.
According to Surendra Pandey, who retired as director general of prisons two days ago, the cell has been maintained in its refurbished condition since 2019.
“The cell had been renovated also keeping in mind the security of the inmate,” said a jail official.
Barrack 12 of the prison is located in a high-security area of the jail, in a two-storey building. It has two cells each on the ground and first floors. Each cell is meant to be shared by three inmates, but people familiar with the matter said cell no. 2 on the first floor was meant only to house a highprofile inmate like Modi or Mallya.
Jail officials said that each cell in barrack 12 has an attached toilet and an isolated courtyard for the inmates to take a stroll, keeping in mind the perceived threat to the occupant of the cell. A cushion and pillow — luxury items in Indian jails — will be provided to the inmate, said jail officers.
The ceiling fan is placed high on the ceiling to ensure the inmate cannot reach it. The cell is under 24/7 CCTV surveillance with guards posted inside and outside the barrack.
A video conferencing facility has also been provided in the barrack to produce inmates before the courts through a video link whenever required.