Ludhiana: ADCP-led cell to scan mobile phones recovered in prisons

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Ludhiana, June 6

In a first in any district, Police Commissioner, Ludhiana, Dr Kaustubh Sharma has formed a special cell to stop gangs from running their operations from jails.

Hundreds of phones are recovered from jail inmates every year and the Jail Department sends these to the Ludhiana police to further investigation.

Additional DCP-IV Tushar Gupta has been made incharge of the special cell, which will scan the mobile phones recovered from inmates and send these, wherever necessary, for forensic analysis.

Confirming the development to The Tribune, the Police Commissioner said the number of phones analysed and the outcome were not satisfactory. “Earlier an Inspector-rank officer or an ASI was entrusted with the job. But most of the phones were not sent for analysis. Now, I have appointed an ADCP-rank officer who will ensure analyses of the recovered phones, specifically those seized from drug smugglers, notorious criminals or those facing heinous crimes, which could have been used by them (inmates) to run any criminal activity outside the jail,” Dr Sharma added.

4 cellphones recovered in Ferozepur Jail

Ferozepur: An undertrial, besides a few unidentified persons, have been booked following the recovery of four mobile phones in Ferozepur jail. Jail officials recovered a phone from Namandeep Singh during inspection of barrack number 8. Three more mobile phones were recovered from various parts of the jail. The accused have been booked under section 52-A of the Prisons Act. More than 10 mobile phones have been recovered in the last two weeks in this central jail. OC