Prisons surveillance bolstered in Kerala

Preliminary report submitted to government, says Senkumar

T.P. Senkumar, ADGP (Intelligence), arriving at the Kozhikode District Jail on Sunday. Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

T.P. Senkumar, Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) who has been given full additional charge of DGP (Prisons), said the existing surveillance mechanism in prisons was strengthened by installing more closed-circuit television cameras and widening their reach to more area. He said this was managed despite a shortage of 482 staff in the Prisons Department.

Mr. Senkumar was visiting the Kozhikode District Jail on Sunday as part of reviewing the additional security measures initiated following the uncovering of mobile phone usage and social networking sites by the accused persons in the T.P. Chandrasekharan murder case.

The officer held discussions with the jail superintendent and other officials on the preventive steps taken to avoid such instances in the future and examined the jail surroundings, which was fortified with more surveillance cameras.

Mr. Senkumar told presspersons that a report of the probe conducted into the incident so far had been submitted to the State government. “Further inquiry is progressing and the data in the recovered mobile phones can be retrieved only after scientific examination,” he said.

Mr. Senkumar who reached the jail around 5.30 p.m. for his maiden inspection after taking charge, also expressed satisfaction over the steps already taken by the jail authorities to fortify the checking mechanism and the round-the-clock surveillance. “To prevent all possible attempts of contacts from outside and the exchange of unpermitted materials, we have cut the branches of all avenue trees close to the compound wall,” he said.

Senior officials from the State Intelligence Department and the city police were present during the visit of the jail DGP.

Cyber cell findings

As per a preliminary investigation conducted by the Cyber Cell, Kirmani Manoj and his team had used over 30 mobile phones in the jail compound to maintain their contacts with outsiders and access social networking sites.

In the investigation, the team also found that the under-trials handed over the phones to some outsiders for getting them recharged in regular intervals.

Separate phones were supplied each time as the jail had no facility to plug in and charge the devices. Also, the prisoners used their mobile phones to top up their SIM cards.