TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Controversies don’t seem to desert Tarun Tejpal, with yet another police complaint filed against the Tehelka editor for allegedly using a cell phone inside the Sada jail premises.
Prisons department on Monday filed a police complaint against him at Mormugao police station following a report which confirmed he was found with the cell phone, use of which is banned in jail.
“The Sada jail officer lodged a complaint against Tejpal and other inmates on whom mobile phones loaded with active SIMs were found in a surprise check on Sunday. Tejpal was found with a Karbonn-make phone with a SIM,” Additional Inspector General of Prisons Gopal Parsekar told reporters.
Tejpal, who was presently lodged in Cell 14 along with seven undertrials had reportedly hidden the cell phone on his person. It is also learnt the SIM card was hidden in his shirt collar. Parsekar however refused to confirm this revelation.
Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Mormugao along with senior jail officers had confiscated mobile phones from cell numbers 14 and 15 along with ear phones and tobacco sachets.
A preliminary report was sought from Sada jail authorities which was subsequently submitted to police headquarters in Panjim on Monday. The report indicts Tejpal for violating rules. A detailed inquiry would be due to ascertain who helped him to sneak the phone into the jail.
Parsekar said there exists two layer frisking in the jail, where India Reserve Battalion police and jail guards screen the prisoners. He said the officials are presently oblivious as to how the mobiles were smuggled inside the jail premises. “A detailed inquiry will disclose the details,” he said though there is no deadline for the inquiry.
Sources said the police investigation would be collecting call records of the SIMs and in whose names are these registered among other details. Asked whether police-prison staff-prisoners nexus could be a possibility, the jail officer said yes, since this is not the first and the only incident as of now.
In September 2013, Prisons department had suspended a prison guard Sunil Telgiri for attempting to smuggle banned substances into the sub-jail. He was caught at the entrance trying to sneak in cigarettes and other tobacco products, for inmates.
In March 2013, a rape undertrial had video-recorded how prisoners were getting narcotics substances and other banned products in their lock- ups. He had also showed availability of television, mobiles and cigarettes, besides one of the inmates claiming that senior jail officers were sharing the profits made out of the sales.” The clips were aired in a local news channel after which the prisoner was shifted to Aguada jail. The premises had CCTVs installed all around, except in the Cells.
Vasco correspondent adds: Tejpal allegedly confesses the SIM card belongs to him.
Besides recovery of cellphone from Tejpal, the team recovered two more SIM cards from other under trials. Sources said Tejpal informed the SDM that the mobile handset does belong to him and it is circulated among the undertrials. “When SDM questioned Tejpal about the SIM card, he confessed it belongs to him,” the source revealed.
It is learnt that the one of the seven mobiles was being used in the jail since last nine months and that one of the undertrial’s brother had given him the cell phone after he was leaving from a court appearance. The jail officials failed to frisk him,” mentioned the official. Police are expected to heighten the security at the Sada jail premises.
