CHENNAI: A mobile phone was found hidden in the Poonamallee sub jail on Wednesday during a surprise search by prison officials.

The phone was discovered in a water pipe in the prison's first block. Two prisoners, Maran and Bhaskar, were found to be using the phone, which was a small, compact device that could be easily concealed.

The prisoners had been using the phone to make calls and communicate with outsiders.

The phone was seized by the prison authorities, and a case has been registered against the two prisoners. The investigation is ongoing to determine who else was involved in the illegal use of the phone.

Maran and Bhaskar, have been lodged in the Poonamallee prison since 2023.

The investigation is also looking into whether the phone was used by the prisoners to communicate with anyone involved in the recent murder of a political leader, for which 11 people are currently lodged in the same prison.

The prison authorities have launched an investigation into the matter and are trying to trace the source of the phone and how it was smuggled into the prison.