Mysuru: Even as the State Prisons Department is trying its best to prevent the use of mobile phones and drugs inside jails, cell  phones, ganja packets have found an easy way into the Mysuru Central Prison.

Over 135 grams of ganja (marijuana), four mobile phones and three SIM cards have been seized from a barrack inside the jail. Shockingly, preliminary investigations conducted by Mandi Police Inspector Ansar Ali on mobile and drug use inside the barracks point out that some of the prison staff were involved  in smuggling drugs and gadgets inside.

A couple of prisoners are being grilled now on how they managed to smuggle drugs and gadgets inside the high-security prison. CCTV visuals are being examined to collect evidence.

The news of seizure comes at a time when the Prisons Department is facing a series of allegations of allowing banned substance into the State jails and also permitting VIP treatment to special category prisoners after accepting crores of rupees as bribe.

Who can forget the revelations made by Deputy Inspector General of Police Roopa Moudgil (now honoured with President’s Medal) who took on the mighty and powerful with her startling revelations on how jailed AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala was given VVIP treatment inside the Bengaluru Central Jail?

It all started on Wednesday (Dec. 8) when Basavaraju alias Basava, a prisoner at Mysuru Jail, made a threat call to a businessman and resident of Mandya, demanding Rs. 20 lakh. He used a smuggled phone to call from the confines of his cell. The businessman immediately lodged a complaint with the Mandya Police.

Tracing the call, Dy.SP Chandrashekar found out that the call originated from the Mysuru Central Jail. He informed the Mysuru Jail Chief Superintendent P.V. Anandareddy who raided the barracks. He was surprised when they found 135 grams of ganja (marijuana), four mobile phones and three SIM cards from the barrack that was occupied by inmates Basavaraju, Prakash and Kumar.

What shocked the jail officers was that the prisoners had kept ganja leaves in over 30 small sachets. All the sachets were hidden under the beds. Initially, the jail officers were perplexed when they found mobile handsets without the SIM card. Intense search revealed that three SIM cards were hidden inside matchboxes in such a way that it could not be detected.

POLICE COMMISSIONER ORDERS PROBE

City Police Commissioner Dr. A Subrahmanyeswara Rao has ordered an investigation into the mobile phone and drug use inside  Mysuru jail. Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, he said that the guilty will not be spared. “Mandi Inspector Ansar Ali has been appointed as the investigating Officer and if need be, City Crime Branch sleuths will assist him,” he said.

The probe will focus on how the banned substance gained entry into the prison and CCTV footages will be scanned to identify the culprits, he said and added that the probe will conclude in a day or two and action will be taken against the guilty officers.

PROBE POINTS to INSIDE ROLE

Preliminary investigations have pointed fingers at some of the jail staff who have been deputed inside the sections and at food counters. While City Armed Reserve (CAR) Constables and Officers guard the outer boundary and walls, staff appointed by the Prisons Department guard its inside. There is a 20-ft boundary wall that is topped by iron fencing.

Investigators are examining the possibilities of drugs and ganja packets being thrown from outside after wrapping the packets with nuts and bolts  for it to fall inside the compound. Also, there are chances of drugs making their way inside through food that is supplied from outside.

Jail officers said that small items like ganja packets, SIM card can be smuggled inside when families come to the jail to give food to prisoners. Food items like ragi mudde, rice and vegetable pulao can easily carry such items. “When we check the food, invariably we have to touch it. Most of the times we don’t touch the food as the prisoners refuse to eat it,” said a Jail Officer.