Vikram Ditya Sharma/Ferozepur
Despite all stringent measures, mobile phones continue to simmer inside the central jail. In the latest incident, 23 mobile phones have been recovered from central jail. As per information, these mobiles were found lying abandoned during the various search operations carried out in the jail. The jail officials said that besides these 23 mobiles (15 keypad phones and 12 touch screen phones), five data cables, one adaptor, one battery, one charger along with 159 packets of tobacco and two packets of cigarettes were also recovered.
The police have lodged an FIR against unidentified persons at Sadar police station.
The continued recovery of the mobiles and drugs has brought the role of the Jail officials under the "scanner". In the past, several incidents have come to fore in which a jail official or other contractual staff have allegedly been found involved in facilitating provision of these electronic items to the inmates.
Earlier on Monday also, eight mobile phones had been recovered following which nine undertrials had been booked. On October 14 also, 23 mobile phones along with tobacco pouches, packets of cigarette and “beeri” (country made cigarette), mobile chargers and data cables along with intoxicating powder had been recovered from the jail premises. On October 12, five mobile phones had been recovered from the jail following which five undertrials had been booked.
There have been several incidents where mobile phones have been recovered from the prisoners lodged in the high security zone of the jail. Just few days ago on October 21, the sleuths belonging to Amritsar Punjab police had arrested a prisoner identified as Harpreet Singh alias Vicky in who had been lodged in Ferozepur Central jail and had been operating from there, in connection with recovery of Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) that was intended for a terror attack.
On October 4, in other such incident, one mobile phone was recovered from a prisoner identified as Arshad Khan, who had been lodged in the high security zone of the jail.
The continued recovery of the mobiles and drugs has brought the role of the Jail officials under the "scanner". In the past, several incidents have come to fore in which a jail official or other contractual staff have allegedly been found involved in facilitating provision of these electronic items to the inmates.
The Jail officials however attributed the large number of recovery of mobile phones to enhanced vigil and stringent security measures which they claimed to have put inside and around the premises to check these activities.
“Large number of residential and commercial buildings have come up in close periphery of the jail besides a road has been constructed along the jail boundary due to which it has become easier to toss up mobile phone packets inside the jail premises”, said one of the jail officials on the condition of anonymity.
Overall more than 400 mobile phones have been recovered from the jail this year till now while 467 mobile phones were recovered last year in 2024.