Red-faced jail officials ban kin from meeting prisoners

A total of 18 television sets were also seized from the inmates during a search on Thursday night after many were found misusing the facility given to them to charge mobile phones, the use of which is also illegal inside the jail premises. 

A team led by A Murugesan, DIG, Prisons, had seized 16 TVs and FM radios from the A class block and two TVs from the cellular block, a jail official disclosed. “TVs are not contraband inside the jail and centralised connections are provided to watch TV, which have two or three cinema channels,” explained the DIG. However, he confirmed that mobiles are completely banned inside jail.

After initial enquiry, jail officials found at least five inmates in the A class block using mobile phones and they were also using the electrical ports of the TVs pins to charge the phones, an official said. Most A class prisoners are convicts in narcotics smuggling cases.

Read More: Luxury comes at a price for Puzhal prisoners

ADGP Ashutosh Shukla conducted a surprise check at the Puzhal prison premises on Thursday after this newspaper carried photographs showing inmates enjoying a comfortable stay inside the jail. He had also promised strict action against those who indulged in violation of prison rules.

Last week police had seized at least seven mobile phones from the inmates and call records in some high-end phones showed that some foreign prisoners arrested for possession of drugs were in regular touch with family members and friends through WhatsApp.

Sources have revealed that a murder was apparently plotted using mobile phones after a few inmates inside the jail were assigned the job to eliminate NIA accused – Zakir Hussain, a Sri Lankan national arrested in Tamil Nadu for spying for Pakistan’s ISI inside the premises. Hussain was recently shifted to Cuddalore jail.