Goverment racks up Rs 1.67 cr bill on Qasab

Cost of ferrying undertrials moved out of Arthur Road jail to Thane and Taloja and back to secure the 26/11 terrorist keeps mounting

Cost of ferrying undertrials moved out of Arthur Road jail to Thane and Taloja and back to secure the 26/11 terrorist keeps mounting

By conservative estimates the state government will be spending at least Rs 1.17 crore to secure Mohammed

MAYHEM: Ajmal Qasab, the only terrorist caught during the Mumbai attacks had, along with his associate Mohammed Ismail Khan, gunned down 59 commuters at CST on November 26 last year. file pic

Ajmal Amir Qasab, the sole surviving terrorist in the Mumbai attacks on November 26. This is in addition to the Rs 50 lakh the state has already spent in building a secure cell inside Arthur Road jail, where his case comes up for trial this month.

Every day, the state government spends approximately Rs 45,000 ferrying undertrials from Thane and Taloja, to the trial courts in Mumbai. These undertrials, generally considered the most dangerous, were moved from Arthur Road to ensure Qasab would not be under threat.

In numbers, that means approximately 25 police vans escorting at least 60 undertrials along with 200 armed guards, guzzling a total of 40,000 litres of diesel each day.

The police vehicles are refuelled at BEST depots and the cost is debited to the state government, police sources informed. "On an average each vehicle makes two trips from the jail and back each day," said an officer from the transport wing of the police. Joint Commissioner of Police (law and order) K L Prasad said it was a serious matter and needed to be examined properly.