Mumbai, Saturday 17 Jan 2009: The Mumbai Crime Branch has expressed fears that Ajmal Amir Kasab’s life is under threat and he might be killed in the Arthur Road Jail.

Kasab is to be shifted to the Arthur Road Jail and the police are already aware that his life is in danger as he is the lone surviving terrorist of the Mumbai carnage and is the sole source of information extracted by the investigating agencies. Further, as the issue has assumed international proportions, the security agencies are being extra cautious.

A special court will be set up inside the jail for the hearing.

The threat perception to Kasab can be gauged by the fact that in all the hearings till now, it is the Magistrate who has come for the hearing rather than the terrorist being taken to the court. The police have also not brought him out even once and kept him away from the public gaze.

Jail Superintendent Swati Sathe said that there are 16 Oval shaped cells, or ‘Anda’ cells as they are known, where dreaded criminals are kept. Talking about the security arrangements of the cell, Sathe said that all the movement of the inmates are monitored through CCTV cameras.

The Arthur Road Jail is home to several dreaded criminals and a number of members belonging to Dawood and Chhota Rajan’s gang are lodged here. Fighting between the jail inmates is a regular occurrence.