Tihar inmate swallows mobile phone, hospitalised

New Delhi, January 7

A prisoner at the high-security Tihar Jail in the national capital was hospitalised after he swallowed a mobile phone, an official said here on Friday.

Director General (Prison) Sandeep Goel told IANS that the incident took place on January 5.

“One inmate of Jail no.1, Tihar, swallowed a mobile phone when our staff approached him for search on suspicion,” the DG said.

He informed that the said inmate was then immediately taken to the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in the city.

“Although his condition was fine so far but the mobile phone was still inside his body,” Goel said.

The Tihar Jail has been strengthening its security arrangements following major backlash it has received over its officials being caught providing facilities to the inmates, of which the main gadget was a mobile phone.

Over 40 officials at the Tihar Prison have been booked by various law enforcement agencies during the past six months for extending benefits to the prisoners in one or the other way.

Goel, in an interview earlier with IANS, had said that the Tihar Jail will soon have two X-ray-based human body scanners that can prevent infiltration of illegal articles and gadgets inside the prison premises.

The usage of mobile phones by inmates is a serious concern, however, can be tackled with the usage of apt technology.

Goyal said they are installing three new towers inside the jail premises that would confine the mobile signals emanating from the prison.

“All these measures are steps in the right direction and can prove beneficial in the future,” he added.

— IANS