Mumbai Central Jail Explained

Prison Name:Mumbai Central Prison
Arthur Road Jail
Location:Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Coordinates:18.9852°N 72.8298°W
Status:Open
Classification:Maximum
Capacity:1074

The Mumbai Central Prison, also referred to as Arthur Road Jail, was built in 1926,[1] and is Mumbai's largest and oldest prison. It houses most of the city's prisoners. It was declared a Central Jail in 1972. Although its name was changed to Mumbai Central Prison, it is still often referred to as Arthur Road Jail.[2] The jail occupies 2acres of land.[1]

Location

The jail is located near Jacob Circle/Sat Rasta, between the Mahalaxmi railway station and Chinchpokli railway station and the Jacob Circle monorail station in the southern part of the city. It is now surrounded by residential property renting for Rs 12–25,000/sq foot, while commercial property is leased for Rs 30–60,000/sq foot.[1]

Conditions

The jail was originally built to accommodate 800 prisoners but the average number of inmates is 2900[3] [1] —far exceeding its capacity in terms of space, sanitation and other facilities.[4] It is often reported that the jail is overcrowded, and there have been proposals to build another such facility in the eastern suburbs of Mankhurd to ease the load on the jail.

The State Human Rights Commission had often suggested that the prison be decongested. Furthermore, a committee which was appointed to inspect the security of the jail has suggested that the prison be shifted due to many high rise constructions around the jail.

In June 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the superintendent of the prison wrote to BMC to ask them to start a vaccination drive for the prisoners.[5]

In July 2021, eight new barracks were added to the jail which could house 200 additional inmates. There were several delays in construction, which lasted five years, due to shortage of funds. This was done in an attempt to alleviate the overcrowding situation, something that the prison authorities were frequently criticized for.

Prison violence

The jail has seen instances of prison violence amongst gangs.

In 2006, a clash between the members of gangs belonging to Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan broke out. After this incident, the authorities started lodging opposing groups in different parts of the jail.

In 2010, a violent clash broke out between the gangster Abu Salem and Mustafa Dossa, who were the accused in the 1993 Bombay serial blasts, which let to Salem's face being slashed with a sharpened spoon.

Notable inmates

Popular culture

The prison features in Gregory David Roberts' award-winning book Shantaram, which details his life on the run and his time spent in Mumbai, including a stint in Arthur Road. Several scenes in Katherine Boo's Behind the Beautiful Forevers take place in the facility.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Time to free Mumbai of its overcrowded prison? . Mustafa Plumber & Manish K Pathak . 19 April 2011 . DNA India . 25 November 2012.
  2. Web site: 2020-09-18. Explained: What's inside Mumbai's Arthur Road jail, and why does it have such a reputation?. 2021-07-30. The Indian Express. en.
  3. Web site: 2021-07-20. Mumbai: Overcrowded' Arthur Road Jail to get eight new barracks. 2021-07-30. The Indian Express. en.
  4. Web site: Explained: What's inside Mumbai's Arthur Road jail, and why does it have such a reputation?. 18 September 2020.
  5. Web site: Mumbai: Vaccinate all Arthur Road jail inmates soon, superintendent writes to BMC. 2021-08-02. Free Press Journal. en.
  6. Web site: Barrack 12. All you want to know of the jail which may house Mallya. 2020-03-13. Rediff. en.
  7. Web site: 2021-10-09. Inconsolable Gauri Khan breaks down as son Aryan Khan sent to Arthur Road Jail - Watch. 2021-10-12. Zee News. en.