Security arrangements in Central Jail under scanner

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 5

Security arrangements at the Bathinda Central Jail have again come under the scanner with the seizure of one more mobile phone from the bathroom of the barrack on its premises.

In a complaint lodged by officials of the jail department, they said they had conducted a checking of the jail and during the search of barrack number 8 of block number 3, they seized a mobile phone along with the battery from the bathroom of the barrack.

Acting on the complaint, the police have registered a case under Section 188 of the IPC and Section 52 of the Jail Manual Act against an unidentified jail inmate at the cantt police station.

It is worth mentioning that this is the fourth such incident in the last 15 days, as earlier on November 21, 130 intoxicating tablets were recovered from a jail inmate during checking. On November 24, one mobile phone was recovered from two inmates inside the Central Jail premises.

It is pertinent to mention that many mobile phones have been seized from jail inmates in the recent past, which has raised a question mark over the functioning of the jail department.

Sources said police officials were allegedly aware of the presence of mobile phones in the jail. The authorities tapped phone calls of inmates to get important information. However, inmates have now started using WhatsApp calling, which is untraceable.

In the past two years, more than 80 mobile phones with SIM cards were seized from different barracks of the jail and cases registered at the Nathana police station.

The sources inside the Central Jail said in many cases, relatives of prisoners provided mobile phones to inmates during their hearing in the court.

On the other hand, the project to fit a jammer at the Central Jail to control the usage of mobile phones by inmates is still on paper due to lack of funds.

Mobile seized during checking by officials

• In a complaint lodged by officials of the jail department, they said they had conducted a checking of the jail and during the search of barrack number 8 of block number 3, they seized a mobile phone along with the battery from the bathroom of the barrack.