Sprawling and teeming with top criminals, Sabarmati jail gets its first horse-mounted patrol unit

Additional Director General (Prison) Rajan Priyadarshee gets ready for his evening patrol astride Laxmi

You’d have probably seen horse-mounted policemen patrolling jails wearing funky hats and knee-length boots in 1970s Western movies or in documentaries on the British Raj. But that’s actually happening right here in Sabarmati Central Jail.

For the past few months, policemen on horseback are patrolling the 1.58-lakh square meter area of Sabarmati Central Jail. Apart from patrolling the jail’s circumference of about four kms, cops also patrol the jail yards and barracks mounted on horses.

Additional Director General (Prison) Rajan Priyadarshee on his mare, Laxmi, outside Sabarmati Central Jail. Following him are officers on other mares, Indrapari, Kruti and Sejal

Currently, four mares are pressed into duty in the jail, and two more are on the way. And heading the horse squad is the jail boss himself, Additional Deputy General (Prison), Rajan Priyadarshee.

This is not Chambal ki Ghaati. This is periphery of Sabarmati Central Jail

Every day, for hours, Priyadarshee mounts the white mare, Laxmi, and leads the patrol party all over the jail premises and surrounding areas. They are accompanied by armed jawans on foot.

The other mares — Indrapari, Kruti and Sejal — form the squad. This entire concept was Priyadarshee’s brainchild. But why the horse-mounted patrol? Priyadarshee told Ahmedabad Mirror, “Two main reasons. It takes a lot of time for officers and men to patrol the jail on foot and often, we don’t have the men to carry out effective patrolling in the first place.”

It is no secret that Sabarmati Jail needs special scrutiny. It houses some of the most dreaded criminals, including terrorists, and discovery of banned items like mobile phones and CDs is rampant.

EVERYTHING OK? Priyadarshee gestures towards a guard just outside the jail

The ‘Horse’ squad

Sabarmati Jail also has a record of infighting among inmates, which Priyadarshee himself confirmed. Often, undertrials are targetted by hardened criminals. But Priyadarshee is determined to make Sabarmati Jail a model for other jails to follow.

Priyadarshee said, “For example, a lot of men were away on election duty a few days ago. And events that demand heavy bandobast keep cropping up. Horse-mount patrol is an effective way of keeping an eye on the proceedings. On horses, our men can cover the distance quickly, without fatigue, and overall monitoring has improved.

“Also, vehicle cannot patrol areas behind the jail where the path is uneven. But the mares are well-trained to tread on any road.”

Watching cops on horse backs has also inspired awe among the inmates, some of whom are dreaded terrorists and murderers.

Said Priyadarshee, “This was the need of the hour. We manage 3,450 inmates in Sabarmati Central Jail and a few of them try to flout the rules. They are often out of their designated areas. Through horse-mount patrols, we are able to keep them in check.”

Read more at Ahmedabad mirror