Inmates find loopholes in the working of present equipment, force prison officials to opt for upgraded technology
Inmates find loopholes in the working of present equipment, force prison officials to opt for upgraded technologyDespite making tall claims and spending enough of public money on installing jammers at the Bangalore Central Prison and other major jails, officials of state prison department admit that mobile phones still work very well inside prison cells. Hence, they have now decided to spend another Rs 8 crore to install jammer equipment, which they claim will block signals more effectively.
Full network: According to officials of Bangalore Central Prison,
jammers that were installed a few years ago on a trial basis were able
to block signals of only two service providers. File pic"We are giving it another try. To begin with, we are opting for upgraded jammer units, which will be installed at the Bangalore Central Prison,"u00a0 said Additional Director General of Police Kuchanna Srinivas. Admitting that they have learned from past mistakes, Srinivas said, "With the recent criminal incidents linked to the central prison, we are determined to make one more attempt to curb the growing menace. If this project works out well, then we will install the same technology in every major jail across the state," he said.
According to central prison officials, jammers that were installed a few years ago on a trial basis were able to block signals of only two service providers. The inmates soon found out about the glitch and started using mobiles that were unaffected by the units.
Minister for Social Welfare and Prisons A Narayanaswamy said, "The jammers were designed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and are incapable of jamming all types of mobile networks. Hence, we are thinking of bringing in new technology." This time too BEL has come forward to manufacture the new units with the latest technology, capable of blocking network signals of all service providers. "This would not only curb smuggling of contraband inside prison, but will also help to bring the law and order situation under control," said a senior crime branch officer. Meanwhile, Narayanswamy blamed the glitch on technology saying, "New high-end mobile networks possess the technology to dodge jammers."
The nexus
Notoriousu00a0 criminal Aparajit Basak, who was arrested in 2001 in connection with a double murder, became infamous for his ransom calls. Basak, allegedly posing as a senior bureaucrat, even use to call ministers and top police officials and judges to complain about the lack of facilities at the jail.
A few jail officials were involved, but said that most of the time phones were being thrown in from outside the jails. To prevent this, the ministry was contemplating building walls some hundred feet away from the main walls of all jails in the state. "We hope to will bring about a drastic change and sever the nexus between jail officials and inmates," said an unnamed official from the ministry.
Why cops turn a blind eye?The absence of jammers provides officers the platform to gather valuable information about gangs and their activities. A senior police officer with the CCB said that they are aware of gangsters using mobiles inside the jails, but chose to remain silent, claiming that they tap phone conversations to counter criminal activities.
He added that several gangsters were arrested using this technique and crimes like abductions and gang wars were averted. Director General of Police R Sree Kumar, who headed investigations into the fake stamp paper scam, came to know that kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi was using mobile phones to communicate with accomplice despite being lodged in jail. He allegedly allowed him to use the phone and based on his communication, raided several places across the country where he was operating through associates.
