Telangana jail security upped to check mobile use in Cherlapally jail

DG of Telangana Prisons V. K. Singh said that it’s impossible for the terror suspects to escape from the jail since they are lodged in a high security segment. He added that all the inmates have the right to talk to their relatives using the landline phone every week, and even Yasin Bhatkal talked to his wife. However, all his calls were recorded and have been handed over to investigation agencies.

“It’s impossible for anybody to escape from the jail. We have special security arrangements for the terror suspects, and it’s a high security segment. We have also made sure that they never use a mobile phone,” said Mr Singh. “The allegations that he used a mobile phone and talked to his wife about his escape plan are baseless. Why would he share his plans with his wife anyway,” he added.

Officials said that the possibility of bringing in a cell-phone inside the prison does not arise since thorough checks are conducted before anyone enters the premises. Following the court orders, Bhatkal was granted telephone facility from February this year, where prisoners are allowed to speak to their family members twice a week.

“Since Bhatkal availed the landline telephone facility, he spoke on two numbers to his mother and wife on 27 occasions. The phone facility is only for five minutes and it automatically gets disconnected after completion of the specified time,” the DIG Prisons Mr Narasimha said. “The 27 conversations, which are in Urdu and Arabic, have been handed over to investigating agencies,” the DIG said. However, officials said that they will have to verify if Bhatkal had spoken to anybody while attending court proceedings in the case.

The officials added that they carried out surprise checks on the jail premises on Saturday, but no cell phone was found. Bhatkal, who is one of the accused in the February 2013 Dilsukhnagar twin blasts case is lodged in the Cherlapalli Central Prison as an under trial.