Items worth Rs 12 lakh stolen during Dec 5 swearing-in ceremony; cops begin probe
Mumbai (PTI): Gold chains, mobile phones and cash cumulatively valued at Rs 12 lakh were stolen during the swearing-in ceremony of the Mahayuti government at the sprawling Azad Maidan in south Mumbai on December 5, a police official said on Sunday.
FIRs have been lodged against unidentified persons and efforts are on to nab the accused, the Azad Maidan police station official said.
The ceremony, in which BJP stalwart Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as chief minister and Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde and NCP leader Ajit Pawar as his deputies, was a grand affair with top names of industry, cinema and politics in attendance, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
More than 4,000 police personnel were deployed at the venue and the vicinity to secure the event.
"The thieves, who stole gold chains, phones and picked wallets, took advantage of people exiting the event from gate number two. Personnel from the police station and Crime Branch are working to nab the accused. CCTV footage is being checked. No arrest has been made so far," the official informed.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bengaluru jail introduces biometric tracking system for prisoners
Bengaluru: In a bid to curb misconduct and illegal activities inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, prison authorities have introduced a new ‘Prisoners Tracking Movement System’ under which inmates will have to undergo biometric verification while entering every barrack.
According to jail officials, biometric systems have been installed across all major sections of the prison, including barracks, visitor rooms, hospital, canteen, kitchen, library, playground, handicraft units and bakery sections. Staff members have also been deployed at these locations.
Officials said inmates visiting the visitors’ room must now obtain a digital token after biometric verification. Details such as the prisoner’s name, identification number and entry time will be updated in the prison software system. This will help authorities maintain a complete digital record of inmates visiting and returning from meeting rooms.
Similar systems have also been introduced at entry points of the hospital, library and other barracks accessed for work-related purposes. Officials said the system will help identify prisoners involved in suspicious or illegal activities with other inmates and enable authorities to track how much time a prisoner spends at different locations inside the prison.
Authorities stated that AI-powered cameras were already being used inside the prison to monitor inmates as well as prison staff. Along with this, digital tracking of prisoner phone calls and a digital token system for visitor meetings have now been added to strengthen surveillance over inmate movement. Officials said the project has been implemented at a cost of around Rs 2.25 crore.
The prison department has also introduced a canteen usage tracking system to monitor prisoners’ spending patterns. Instead of direct cash payments, inmates can purchase bakery items and snacks using wallets or coupons issued within the prison system.
Officials said the digital system will record details including the buyer’s name, items purchased, quantity, date, time and remaining wallet balance. This will allow prison authorities to maintain complete expenditure records of inmates.
