Hassan: Quite a few commercial establishments including garages, timber marts, and petty hotels among others pose a serious threat to the security of the Hassan sub-jail but none of the officials concerned take the onus to get them evicted.
“There should not be any activity especially commercial around 500 feet of the jail premises but in Hassan, commercial activities run attached to the jail compound wall,” said a jail official to Deccan Chronicle on Friday adding that efforts on to get the commercial activities evicted hasn’t had much support from City Municipal Council (CMC) or the district administration. “Political pressure has prevented us from evicting these people, but eviction can be taken-up with committed officials,” added the official.
At the entrance of the Jail itself, petty shops having tin sheds are located on either side of it. Since, there are petty shops all around the place; it is difficult to locate the jail at the first sight. Taking note of the safety of inmates, a jail official said that he had written a letter to Deputy Commissioner (DC), Hassan asking for measures to get the eviction of commercial shops around the jail but nothing happened. When contacted DC Umesh Kusgal said, he had not received any letter from the jail staff asking for eviction of shops but it is the duty of the jail staff to get eviction cleared on their own.
On DC’s response, jail official said, CMC function under DC and he can direct CMC officials to get the eviction done. Earlier, CMC Commissioner Krishnamurthy had commitment and was keen to get the shops evicted but he has been transferred bringing things to a halt now, the official added.
The official pointed out “It becomes easier to hurl lethal weapons over the compound wall, narcotic drugs stuffed inside rubber balls, mobile phones among others for use among the inmates.” However, jail official claimed that lethal weapons, drugs and mobile phones have been seized from the inmates through proper checks by the jail staff.
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