VISAKHAPATNAM: Two days after the prisons department recovered two mobile phones near the Penna Block in the Visakhapatnam Central Prison, Arilova police of Visakhapatnam police commissionerate began an investigation into how inmates of the prison got access to mobile phones and who used the phones.
Interestingly, one more basic mobile phone was recovered by the prison authorities on Friday, January 3, near the Narmadha Block in the prison. The seizure of one more mobile phone raised further questions about security in the prisons.
It may be recalled that altogether two mobile phones (one smartphone and one basic phone), one power bank, and a mobile charger adapter buried within the Central Prison premises in Vizag were found during an internal raid carried out by the prison authorities on Tuesday, December 31, 2024. However, the prison authorities did not find the SIM cards in the recovered phones.
The recovery was made a few days after the warders of the prison protested, alleging that the Superintendent of the Prison humiliated them in front of the prisoners.
Speaking to TOI, DIG (Prisons), Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Mr Ravi Kiran said prison authorities found mobile phones and filed a complaint with the police for a detailed investigation into the incident to prevent such incidents in the future. Since they didn’t establish the users (inmates) of those mobile phones, they approached the police for a probe into the incident, he added.
Sources said that the two mobile phones were found near the Penna Block at Central Prison, where one life convict in a murder case, Hemanth Kumar, and another rowdy sheeter, Rajesh, were lodged. The prison authorities suspect the two inmates might have used the mobile phones.
The Arilova police, led by Inspector Malleswara Rao and his team, visited the Penna Block of the Central Prison. The police registered a case under Section 111 and 323 of BNS (continuing unlawful activity), and further investigation is ongoing.
Since the jail authorities recovered mobile phones without SIM cards, they will send the recovered mobile phones to a forensic laboratory for further investigation to establish the call data to identify the users of the mobile phones, Malleswara Rao added.
It may be recalled that a pharmacist working at the Central Prison Hospital in Vizag city was caught red-handed while attempting to smuggle ganja into the prison in November 2024. The accused, identified as Kadiyam Srinivas (50) from Pendurthi, was apprehended during a routine security check by jail authorities.
The leaders and activists of opposition parties pointed out that if prisoners get access to mobile phones, they can hatch a conspiracy and be indirectly involved in crimes outside the prison. The police must investigate thoroughly in the case and expose the persons behind the supply of phones to the inmates.
Key points
- Vizag Central Prison has 16 blocks and it has a capacity to accommodate 914 inmates.
- The central prison in Vizag is overcrowded with over 1,900 inmates.
- Most of the inmates in Vizag central prison are remand prisoners.
- Around 440 convicts are in Vizag central prison.
- Around 50 to 70 per cent of the prisoners in Vizag central prison are involved in cannabis-related cases.
- Staff shortage also hits Vizag central prison.
- Andhra Pradesh has four central prisons located at Vizag, Rajahmundry, Nellore, and Kadapa.
- The available capacity in these four jails is 3,764 (3,634 male prisoners and 130 female prisoners).
- They are filled above capacity due to various reasons.
