Mobile found from Poojappura prison

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two mobile phones have been seized from the cell of a convict in the T.P. Chandrasekharan murder case at Poojappura central prison here. A smart phone and another ordinary handset were recovered from the cell of T.P. Chandrasekharan murder convict Annan Shijith. Police officials suspect that the phone was being used by some other prisoners also, including Basit Ali - a convict in the murder of Bhaskara Karanavar at Chengannur. Director General of Prisons ADGP R Sreelekha has ordered an internal enquiry to find how the phones were brought inside the prison cell. All suspects, including Annan Shijith and Basit Ali were shifted to another cell with more surveillance.

The Poojappura prison authorities has also reported the matter to the local police. Central prison superintended S. Santosh said that a search was carried out at the prison on Sunday evening as per a direction of the director general. The phones were recovered form a cell in b-block. Annan Shijith and one Pradeep were the occupants at the cell. The phones were hidden beneath food for supper. "We have quizzed those suspected to be using mobile phones. But they denied it. Subsequently a search was conducted and we recovered two phones and some cash,” said Mr. Santosh.

Basit Ali was being engaged as an assistant at the prison hospital. Hence he used get chance to charge the phone at the hospital. Both phones were live ones, prison sources said. Ms. Sreelekha said that prima faice there was lapse on the part of the prison official as banned items were recovered from prison. A probe by DIG prisons south-zone B. Pradeep has been ordered. The police would also register a probe a conduct a probe. The call detail records of the phones would be verified to identify the persons they used to contact. Similarly, the phones would be also examined to ascertain whether they used social media from prison.

Mini-jammers to be installed

In order to curb the chances of prisoners using mobile phones, the prison department is planning to install mini mobile phone jammers at the three central prisons. According to prison department sources, though the initial plan was to install normal mobile jammers it was dropped as it would affect mobile phone connectivity outside the prison premises also.

A mobile jammer was installed at Kannur Central Prison earlier. But the local people protested against this as it was affecting their mobile phone connectivity also. All the three central prions are located at highly populated localities. Hence the plans for normal mobile jammers were dropped. "We had subsequently proposed to the government to allow installation of mini jammers at the prisons so that it would not affect connectivity outside the prison. Hopefully the government would sanction it soon," said prison department sources.