Due to repeated incidents of mobile phone use inside the Model Burail Jail in UT, the prisons department has decided to procure multiple portable jammers. These jammers will be installed outside specific barracks to ensure that any cell phone smuggled into the jail cannot be used. Model Burail Jail houses around 1,250 inmates in approximately 110 barracks, both small and large.

Over the past 13 months, a total of 13 cell phones, with some even having SIM cards, have been recovered from various barracks within the jail. In 2014, a jammer was installed inside the jail premises. While the jammer was effective in deterring 2G signals, its presence impacted signal frequencies in the residential areas surrounding Model Burail Jail in Sector 51 and 52. As a result, the jail administration agreed to reduce the jammer frequency.

This new measure of procuring portable jammers and installing them outside specific barracks is an attempt to eradicate mobile phone usage within the jail completely. Given the numerous incidents of phone smuggling and use, it is crucial to implement strict measures to ensure the safety and security of the inmates and the overall functioning of the jail.

IG (Prisons) Deepak Purohit said, “After much discussion, we concluded that portable mobile jammers are the best to curb mobile use in any situation in the jail. We have planned a roadmap for procuring these portable jammers. There are many jails in the country currently using the portable jammers. The plus point with these jammers is that it cannot affect the routine functioning of jail administration. In cases where stationed and high-frequency jammers are installed, jail officials are also not able to use their devices.”

Purohit was interacting with the media on the sidelines of ‘Maan Ki Baat’ programme at Model Burail jail.

“So far, at least 13 cell phones along with narcotic substances were seized from the possession of many inmates, including notorious gangsters lodged in the jail for a long time. These seizures were made in the last 10 months. A temporary jail warder, Vijay Rana, who was found assisting the inmates, was dismissed and another jail hospital employee, Manoj, was arrested for working as a messenger for the criminals lodged in the jail. We have been following a zero-tolerance policy against the tainted employees,” a senior jail officer said.

The majority of the confiscated cell phones were discovered to be actively running the messaging app, WhatsApp. Interestingly, most of these phones were of Chinese origin and relatively inexpensive. Out of all the cell phones seized, only six contained active SIM cards. It was surprising to find two cell phones hidden in the washrooms. The seized narcotics included substances such as opium, charas, poppy husk, and tobacco.