19 cell phones, Rs 6,500 seized from Central Jail in two days

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 20

A day after 15 mobile phones were confiscated, the Central Jail authorities on Monday seized four cell phones and Rs6,500 in cash from the high-security prison during a checking. In view of unabated seizure of mobile phones and other prohibited material, the authorities have launched a special operation under which they search every nook and corner of the jail on a daily basis.

Recently, the Amritsar (Rural) police had arrested three jail inmates — Balkar Singh, Lakhwinder Singh and Sarwan Singh — for smuggling narcotics across the International Border using social media platforms from the prison.

Earlier, investigations had hinted that inmates, including gangsters and drug peddlers, were operating their network from the jail.

Giving details, Jail Superintendent Arshdeep Singh Gill said during the search operation, the authorities seized four mobile phones. He said three mobile phones were found abandoned while the other one was confiscated from a prisoner identified as Raman Malhotra, who is an accused in a murder case.

“We have launched a drive under which we carry out search operations on a daily basis. In the past two days, a total of 19 cell phones were recovered during the search operations,” said Gill, adding that the operation will continue in the upcoming days.

“We are taking the help of CRPF personnel, PESCO (private security) guards, and the police for carrying out search operations so that no margin of error remains during the operation,” said the Jail Superintendent.