Maharashtra’s plan to interview serial killers was scrapped. It’s back, to stop inmates taking their own lives

Maharashtra has revived its scrapped plan to interview serial killers and repeat offenders in state prisons, shifting the focus to inmates’ mental health and rehabilitation. The Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, approved the revival. The original project, called RUDRA (Research Unit for Detection and Resolution of Anomalies in Criminals), was halted due to complaints about its research head, Atharva Deshpande.

The new initiative, overseen by the Gandhinagar-based Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), will work with prisons to prevent inmates from harming themselves and to train staff to recognize at-risk individuals. RRU, an Institution of National Importance, has already set up psychological care centers across the country. The revived project is expected to begin soon, funded by Rs 1.80 crore over ten years.