Ludhiana: A routine search operation inside Ludhiana Central Jail has led to the recovery of multiple mobile phones, SIM cards and batteries from inmates, prompting the registration of a criminal case and a fresh investigation into the smuggling of prohibited items into the prison.
According to jail officials, the recovery was made during an inspection conducted on July 27 as part of an ongoing drive to detect contraband within the correctional facility.
Officials said a black SNEXIAN keypad mobile phone, along with a battery and SIM card, was allegedly recovered from inmate Gurpreet Singh. During the same operation, another inmate, Rohit Kumar, was allegedly found in possession of a keypad phone, a SIM card and a battery.
Apart from the two recoveries, prison staff also discovered an unclaimed touchscreen mobile phone lying inside the jail premises. Authorities are now working to determine how the devices entered the high-security facility and who may have been using them.
Based on a complaint submitted by Balihar Singh, Assistant Superintendent of Ludhiana Central Jail, the Division No. 7 Police Station has registered a case against the two inmates and an unidentified individual under provisions of the Prisons Act related to the possession of prohibited articles inside a jail.
Investigators have begun examining the SIM cards recovered during the operation. Police are trying to identify the registered subscribers and are analysing call records and other digital evidence to trace possible links and determine whether the phones were used for any illegal activities.
Officials said further investigation is underway to identify those responsible for supplying the prohibited items inside the prison and to ascertain whether others were involved in the network.
