NEW DELHI: The blame game between Delhi Police and Tihar authorities turned worse today with jail officials accusing the police of circulating "malicious" statements for "spreading falsehood".
Delhi Police had released a press statement yesterday evening, in which it had alleged Tihar authorities of not sharing crucial details for threat perception with regard to transport of undertrial prisoners.
It had also cited particular clause of a standing order in connection with the issue.
"The press release of Delhi Police is malicious, not based on facts and an attempt to tarnish the image of Delhi Prison by spreading falsehood," said Naveen Kataraya, Superintendent of Delhi Prisons.
Delhi Police refuted all allegations and maintained that it is the responsibility of the superintendent of jails to convey/share information with DCP (3rd Batallion) well before the court production of a prisoner who is dangerous, has specific potential threat and/or associate of a notorious gang as well as lodgment of members of rival gangs in jail.
"The jail authorities are providing grossly incorrect information to media and laying the whole responsibility at the doors of Delhi Police," said Rajan Bhagat, Delhi Police spokesperson.
Tihar authorities claimed that all vital informationscoming to the notice of jail authorities about prisoners, especially high-risk prisoners, are shared with DCP (3rd Batallion).
It is the 3rd Battalion of Delhi Police, which is solely entrusted with the responsibility of safe custody and escorting of prisoners of Delhi Prisons during production to various authorised places in the city, outside Delhi, hospitals in Delhi, short and custody paroles of prisoners of Delhi Prisons, said Kataraya.
Citing a clause from the rule book, Kataraya added that it is the prime responsibility of Delhi Police to provide various informations about a prisoner brought in Delhi Prisons. The DCP (3rd Battalion) is preferring to ignore theorders of the Police Department for reasons best known to him.
Referring to the incident on August 25, in which two inmates were killed in a gang war inside a moving prison van, Tihar authorities claimed that they had communicated that all nine undertrials were high risk prisoners, with "escapee" added after Paras Goldy's name.
"Delhi Police's allegations clearly suggests a coverup and shifting of responsibility by the 3rd Battalion to prison administration with malicious intent," said DIG (Prison) Mukesh Prasad.
Providing separate vans to the undertrials is the soleresponsibility of DCP 3rd Battalion DAP. In a number of instances, proposals were sent to DCP, DAP 3rd Battalion for providing high-risk vans or separate vans either on the request of the prisoner or on the directions of the Court.
However, all such proposals were rejected, he added.