15 phones seized from Central Jail

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 19

In a search operation carried out at the high-security Central Jail, the jail staff along with local police seized as many as 15 mobile phones from the premises here on Saturday evening.

While 11 mobiles were found abandoned, four were recovered from jail inmates. The jail authorities submitted a complaint to the Islamabad police, which had registered a case against four prisoners. They were identified as Harmanjit Singh of Padde village, Manpreet Singh of Tahliwala Chowk, Vikas of Mohamadeen building on the GT Road and Dharamjit Singh, alias Dharma, of Hukum Chand Colony in Chheharta.

Manpreet and Dharamjit were facing trial in two murder cases while Harmanjit was nabbed for murder bid.

Jail Superintendent Arshdeep Singh Gill said a special drive had been launched by the jail staff in which CRPF jawans deputed inside, PESCO, jail staff along with police force searched the jail complex. During the search, they found the mobile phones. He said the drive would continue to check the sneaking of prohibited material, including cell phones, drugs and cigarettes.

The jail authorities also confiscated two abandoned mobile phones on Friday.

The Jail Superintendent said steps were being taken to check the smuggling of forbidden material, including mobile phones inside the jail premises. He said paramilitary force had been deployed in the meeting area, besides other vital locations in the complex.

The unabated incidents of recovery of mobiles phones from the jail premises have raised the question mark over the security arrangements. According to jail authorities, recently when dense fog engulfed the region, unidentified persons made attempts to throw cell phones and other prohibited material into the premises from outside.