Jail warden arrested for providing mobile phones to prisoners

A warden posted at the district jail in Bhondsi near here was arrested yesterday for allegedly supplying mobile phones to the prisoners, police said.

Warden Pawan Kumar, who was deputed in Bhondsi jail, about eight kilometres from here, was taken into custody for allegedly supplying mobile phones to the inmates. The action was taken against Kumar following a complaint by Deputy Jailor Shahid Husain.

According to police, the accused was on night duty on Saturday when he hid three mobile phones wrapped in a polythene in the water disposal pipe line of a washroom. Finding his activities suspicious, some personnel on duty informed senior jail officials. The hidden phones were later recovered from the gutter.

Following the arrest, a search operation was conducted in the jail premises in which two mobile phones were seized from three inmates - two of whom have been convicted in a murder case.

Police have registered a first information report (FIR).

Station House Officer of Bhondsi police station Arvind Dahiya said police were grilling the warden, while the inmates from whom mobile phones were recovered would be questioned after a production warrant was issued.

Bhondsi jail inmates have been accused of making extortion calls and controlling their gangs from inside the jail.u00a0