Mobile phone recovery from jail; vigilant Patiala central jail staff trying hard to catch them
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
The frequent recovery of cell phones, drugs, habit forming tablets, tobacco pouches etc from prisoners, including terrorists, gangsters and smugglers from Patiala Central Jail has become a headache for jail staff, Patiala police, security and intelligence agencies, as their alertness and steps taken by the authorities have proved insufficient to curb the sneaking of mobiles inside high-security jail.
Despite this, Patiala central jail vigilant staff recovered 154 mobiles-including touch mobiles, 5 earphones, 8 mobile chargers, 4 data cables, SIM cards, 72 tobacco pouches (Jarda) , 16 gm drug powder, 13 gm sulfa, 256 habit forming drug tablets, 1 cigarrete box, 25 gm ganja, 1 bottles, 6 gm drugs in just 7 months.
As per a senior police officer, “Patiala police has lodged 89 FIR’s from July 2,2020 to February 10,2021under 52-A Prison Act at Tripuri police station against the recovery of 154 mobiles-including touch mobiles, 5 earphones, 8 mobile chargers, 4 data cables, SIM cards, 72 tobacco pouches (Jarda), 16 gm drug powder, 13 gm sulfa, 256 habit forming drug tablets, 1 cigerrate box, 25 gm ganja, 1 bottle, 6 gm drugs, from the Central Jail Patiala inmates.”
When contacted the Central Jail, Patiala jail superintendent, Shivraj Singh, said “we are vigilant, that’s why we are able to recover the mobile, earphone, charger etc from the jail premises. “
When asked on how it is possible to sneak mobiles and other items inside the jail, when the jail staff is so vigilant, he said,” the actual problem is the residential area around the central jail Patiala. Accomplices of the jail inmates throw the mobiles, wrapped in the tobacco pouches, along with other items from the residential colonies, around the jails. The jail barracks are adjacent to the residential colonies. Now, we had strengthen our security, invigilation, deputed the security staff around the jail wall, adjacent to residential colonies, as soon as any miscreants, if able to throw the items, inside the jail, our alert staff, does the recovery. We are also taking utmost security measures to curtail this practice.”
“Our police staff, concerned area SHO, are in regular in touch with the jail staff, to better coordination and we are in the process to identify the culprits, who are helping the jail inmates, from outside” said a senior police officer, on the condition of anonymity. He further said, we are keeping an eye on the jail inmate accomplices, who are helping them from outside and the jail staff is keeping an eye on the suspected jail inmates from inside. Identifying, them will help us in breaking the nexus.”
March 4,2021
