Arthur road jail: Jail Superintendent may get the boot for 'loose administration'

Former PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal was ‘unlawfully shifted' from Arthur Road Jail to St George Hospital and even Ponzi scheme operator Shekhar Chandrashekhar managed to experience freedom illegally by posing as a patient. All this happened right under the nose of Arthur Road Jail superintendent Bharat Bhonsale, revealed an enquiry, which held him accountable and recommended his transfer.

Arthur Road jail

The top brass of the state prison department found Bhonsale responsible for ‘loose administration'. Bhujbal and Chandrashekhar are not the only cases against Bhonsale. The enquiry has found a spate of cases, which compelled them to recommend a transfer.

Arthur Road Jail superintendent Bharat Bhonsale

While Chhagan Bhujbal's ‘Dental OPD' was changed to ‘Medical OPD', which let him get admitted at St George Hospital, Chandrashekhar, managed to get himself admitted in Rajawadi Hospital and stayed there for 4 months, before finally being shifted to Arthur Road jail on April 23.

Additional director general (prisons) Bhushan Kumar Upadhyay told mid-day that based on the findings of the enquiry, jail department has recommended that Bhonsale be transferred to another jail. Sources in the prison department said the jailer is likely to be transferred to Kalyan jail, which is not a central prison.

Enquiry report
Deputy inspector general of police (West region prisons) R Dhamane conducted the enquiry after the medical officer of Arthur Road jail Dr Rahul Ghule alleged that jail officials were frequently indulging in corrupt activities. Although, Ghule himself is now a suspect for fudging with Chhagan Bhujbal's medical documents to get him admitted into St George Hospital.

A senior jail official said though the allegations made by Dr Ghule didn't prove to be true, the enquiry revealed lack of strict supervision on the part of Bhonsale, who is supposed to be responsible for every incident that takes place inside the jail.