Impossible for Bhatkal to smuggle mobile into jail: Telangana DG

New Delhi, July 4

Even as news that Yasin Bhatkal, the co-founder of the Indian Mujahideen, has managed to get a call through to his wife to hint at possible help from dreaded terror outfit Islamic State of Iraq and Syria to facilitate his escape has sent authorities into a tizzy, the Telangana police have claimed that the extremist made a call to his wife using a phone at Cherlapally Jail. Telangana Director General (Prisons) VK Singh also ruled out the speculations that Bhatkal had made the call using a mobile phone.

“To smuggle a mobile phone into the jail is impossible. However, they have the facility to talk to family members via official telephones. Yasin Bhatkal was also granted this facility on the orders of the court. These conversations are all recorded and these recordings are shared with investigative agencies,” Singh said.

“All these calls are recorded and this is a routine exercise, and all the prisoners are aware of such a procedure. We cannot comment on the call. We have shared all the information with the concerned agencies and they will decide on the issue. This is a high-security prison and proper checks are carried out on a routine basis,” he added.

Media reports claimed Bhatkal had made a call to his wife hinting at that Damascus would help him escape prison, fuelling speculations of a link between the IM and the dreaded terror outfit.

Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) Narasimha said Bhatkal was extended the facility after a court directed police to do so in February this year.

"Since Bhatkal availed the landline telephone facility, he spoke on two numbers to his mother and wife on 27 occasions. The phone facility is only for five minutes and it automatically gets disconnected after completion of the specified time," Narasimha said.

The conversations have been recorded: transcripts have been handed over to the investigating and security agencies.

"The 27 conversations, which are in Urdu and Arabic have been handed over to investigating agencies," he said, adding, however, Bhatkal may have spoken while being taken to court proceedings, which need to be checked.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is reported to have intercepted the conversation.

Bhatkal have been accused of involved in several terror attacks in the country, including explosions at Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune.

He was on the NIA list of most-wanted criminals before he was arrested at the Indo-Nepal border in 2013. — Agencies