Bhubaneswar: The authorities of Prisons Directorate have seized five mobile phones during a surprise raid at the Jharpada special jail here. The Directorate under ‘Operation Clean up’ has been carrying out raids at various jails across the state to check any ongoing illegal activities inside.
Sources claimed that the authorities have seized mobile sets from the rooms where some hardcore prisoners have been lodged. Speaking to Orissa POST, Prisons DG Santosh Upadhyay said that the phones and other incriminating materials, seized during the raid Sunday, have been submitted at the Laxmisagar police station. Separate complaints have been lodged with the police against two dreaded criminals serving their jail terms in Jharpada jail.
Upadhyay also revealed that, to thwart development of nexus between the dreaded criminals, other inmates and the jail staff, many more hardcore criminals will be shifted to other jails.
Recently, the infamous gangster Tito and another murder accused were shifted from Jharpada special jail to jails in other districts.
A special squad under the direct supervision of IG prisons has conducted surprise raids at 6 jails till now. The honest staff and warders are being rewarded and felicitated for recovery of contrabands from the jails.
Meanwhile, in another major development, the prisons directorate has released 450 prisoners lodged in different jails of the state on parole for 90 days, keeping in view the rising cases of Covid-19 infections among inmates. The Supreme Court of India had instructed the high-powered committees established in all the states to initiate release of prisoners on parole or furlough in view of the Covid-19 second wave.
As per sources, 21 under trial prisoners (UTPs) at Udala Sub-jail in Mayurbhanj district were found positive for the virus Monday. Recently, the Prisons Directorate, in a letter addressed to the Registrar General of Orissa High Court, informed about the lodging of 1,163 UTPs in jails in connection with offences with maximum punishment upto seven years. Such UTPs can be released on bail too to decongest the prisons in the state.
PNN