Sanitise high-security zones in prisons: High Court

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Chandigarh, March 22

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has called for immediate sanitisation of high-security zones in the jails to place mobile phones out of the inmates’ coverage area to curb the menace of extortion and threatening calls.

A Division Bench also directed the states of Punjab, Haryana and the UT, Chandigarh, to furnish jail-wise data regarding recovery and seizure of mobile phones from the prisons during the last three months.

“It would indeed be a matter of grave concern if the inmates, whether undertrials or convicts, are making extortion or threatening calls from within the precincts of the jail,” asserted the Bench of Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Kirti Singh.

As the suo motu or “court on its own motion” came up for resumed hearing before the high court, counsel for the state of Punjab apprised the Bench about the steps being taken to augment the jail security, including installation of jammers, and X-ray machines. But the process was expected to take some time.

“It would not be difficult for the authorities to sanitise the areas, which house the high-security inmates or those involved in heinous crime, including extortion. Such prisoners are stated to have been put up in separate high-security zones. It is the need of the hour that the high-security zones should be immediately sanitized to ensure that there are no extortion/threatening calls by the inmates,” the Bench observed, while fixing the matter for further hearing on April 15. The proceedings were initiated following the in-custody interview of “known criminal” Lawrence Bishnoi.