Maharashtra: Tension at Arthur Road Jail as D-Company Bishnoi Gang War Escalates; Jail Authority Moves Court

Growing fears that the Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail will become a battleground of gang war soon, the authorities and jailers are now issuing a very grim alert to a potential clash between notorious Bishnoi gang members and D-Company inmates inside this facility. Over such apprehension, the jail administration has filed a petition in court requesting the transfer of certain jailed members of Bishnoi gang to other prisons to dilute the threat, which the request includes those arrested in connection with the shooting incidents near the homes of Baba Siddiqui and Salman Khan.

The jail authorities claim that more than 20 Bishnoi gang members are lodged in Arthur Road Jail. The officers fear that a separate faction may emerge inside the jail with these inmates, which might lead to grave law and order problems. The Jail also has a few D-Company members and Chhota Rajan's gangsters lodged in the jail, hence raising concerns about potential escalation of violence. 

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An official said the Bishnoi gang, with now more than 20 members in the jail, could provide an opportunity to form an independent faction, which would be a serious cause for concern regarding security. The petition wanted the transference of these inmates to other jails to control the situations prevailing at Arthur Road Jail. Up to date, judicial custody of 15 suspects in the Baba Siddiqui murder case and five in the Salman Khan shooting case are lodged in this facility. 18 suspects have already been apprehended in the murder case of Siddiqui, and further arrests are anticipated as the investigations continue.

D-Company and Chhota Rajan Gang Members Also Behind Bars

The jail is already overcrowded, and any kind of disruption can create a huge ruckus, officials said. Suspects in both the Baba Siddiqui and Salman Khan cases have been put into high-security cells to prevent them from contacting other inmates. Arthur Road Jail currently accommodates a variety of gangsters who are arrested in different cases, among whom are D-Company and the Chhota Rajan gang members. The Mumbai Crime Branch arrested 18 persons so far in connection with the murder case of Siddiqui. Key accused Shubham Lonkar and Shivkumar Gautam, who allegedly shot at Siddiqui, have not been arrested yet.

As for the inmates, the authorities are, in fact, seeking the court's approval for the transfer of the members of the Bishnoi gang so that there is no possibility of violence and for the safety of the inmates because the institution is already overcrowded.