Jail inmate hides mobile in rectum, caught

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 19

A jail inmate was found hiding a mobile phone in his rectum here yesterday.

Identified as Daljit Singh of Tarn Taran road, he was being taken back to the jail after a court hearing when guards noticed him wobbling strangely. They got suspicious and made him stop for observation. The jail authorities already had a tip-off that someone may try to sneak in a mobile.

“Daljit was kept under observation. After half an hour, he confessed that he had a mobile phone in his rectum. The cell phone was removed later,” said a jail official, preferring not be named. A complaint was lodged with the Gate Hakima police. He has been booked under Sections 42 and 45-A of the Prisoners Act.

According to officials, such a practice has seen a rise in the past three years. It is very harmful as it often results in bleeding and causes infection that can be fatal, officials said.

According to the official, inmates belonging to the low income group agree to resorting to such activities after being lured by fellow inmates. They sell the cell phones for drugs to others for a certain price, he added.

In the absence of body scanners, this is a challenge for the jail authorities. They have just got scanners which is not enough.

Different methods are used by the jail inmates for bringing in mobiles. Somtimes it is done in connivance with jail staff. The prohibited material is also thrown from outside the boundary wall of the newly-constructed jail.