VIBHA VERMA
vibha@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: While punctured security at Colvale Central Jail continues to be a debatable subject, the audacity of prisoners reached a point where an inmate once called up Raj Bhavan seeking his pre-mature release. Calls to influential persons like politicians, public prosecutors, defence counsels and even inmates’ relatives from the barracks have become common, indicating that cell phones inside the jails are common.
“A convict once called up the Raj Bhavan requesting to consider his mercy petition. The Prisons Department was sent a confidential communiqué by the office of the Governor on this matter. It’s an embarrassment that prisoners not only take undue advantage of security lapses but also succeed in getting personal contact numbers of high-profile persons despite being in jail,” a source revealed. It is also learnt that a prisoner dared to call a Chief Minister.
Random searches in the cells have led to seizures of mobile phones but a bigger search, termed as ‘general raid’ by the law enforcing authorities, isn’t easy for the Prisons Department in view of multiple permissions to be obtained from different government departments. The higher-ups in the Police and Prison Department have now proposed installation of jammers in the jail.
In another instance, a retired army officer living in North India, whose kin is in judicial custody, has been sending emails to jail officials informing every inside detail. Sources said the murder under trial, who is also in alleged possession of a mobile phone, has been leaking jail-related information to the ex-defence personnel.
The story does not end here as calls to politicians and lawyers among others are also made on a regular basis. Herald has withheld names of these prisoners for security reasons.
A staff, posted in Colvale Jail said that family members/relatives of inmates confront officials with information which is usually supposed to be confined to the campus. “Arguments and fights between inmates with their names, which staff is present on duty, etc are shared by inmates to the outside world. Action on every illegal activity inside the jail is acted upon promptly, however, information leaked to people known to the inmates is posing a major threat,” a senior bureaucrat said, conceding security lapses in the jail.
Several social media accounts are also active with prisoners, using illegally obtained mobile phones and updating their status.
Considering these instances and many others, Goa Police and Prisons Department have proposed to install jammers across the jail area to ensure that prisoners are disconnected with the outside world via these networks. “If jammers are installed, 60 percent grievances of the prisons staff will be solved. Rampant usage of mobile phones has become a headache to the entire police force and the prisons staff,” the officer said.
A senior jail official said that on receiving information, they conduct a search of the barracks to seize the phones but due to lack of trained staff, they need the help of the police for ‘general raid’ along with permissions from various government departments and the court.
The government will also be asked to fix iron nets on windows to ensure there is no smuggling of banned articles inside the jail. As one part of the security procedure, every person right from the police, jail staff, visitors and inmates – while entering the jail – are thoroughly frisked at the entrance. This has led to a number of exposures with even jail guards caught while attempting to smuggle banned products.
