In order to combat the illegal use of mobile phones by prisoners in prisons, the Maharashtra prison department has proposed a new plan to further strengthen prison security measures. Under the plan, the government will purchase and install 39 new mobile phone signal jammers in nine central prisons across the province. The proposal has been approved by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, and the bidding process has been launched. It is expected that the new cellular jammer devices will be installed in the next few months.
Serious problem of illegal communications in prisons
For a long time, the illegal use of mobile phones by pending and convicted prisoners in prisons has been a major problem for prison management. Criminals use mobile phones to keep in touch with external underworld organizations and continue to direct criminal activities from prisons. In some cases, gangs in prisons also use mobile phones to commit crimes such as extortion, manipulation and drug trafficking. Although most of the central and district jails in Maharashtra are currently equipped with about 70 to 80 cellular signal blocker jammers, these devices often fail to function properly due to age, leading to a continued severe security situation in prisons.
Updates and expansions: Introduction of new mobile signal jammer devices
BK Upadhyay, deputy commissioner of prison affairs, said that the new mobile jammers will be installed mainly in central jails in the province, especially those jails that have seen serious security incidents. The new devices will effectively prevent prisoners from making calls or receiving communications from the outside world, aiming to fundamentally cut off illegal contacts inside and outside the prisons.
Upadhyay further explained that although a certain number of cellular blockers were put into use in the past, many of them failed to achieve the desired effect due to problems with technology and aging equipment. Telecom companies sometimes increase the frequency so that the signal jammers cannot effectively cover the entire prison area, leaving security loopholes. Prisoners take advantage of these loopholes to sneak mobile phones and SIM cards into the prisons and continue illegal communications.
Past cases of high-risk prisons
According to statistics from the prison department, the prisons with the most serious problems of illegal mobile phone use include Arthur Road Jail, Taloja Jail and Nashik Jail. These prisons are not only vast in area, but also have particularly prominent communication problems because most of the prisoners they hold are involved in serious crimes and gang activities.
- In June 2013, a major gang shooting occurred in Taloja Prison. Gang leader Abu Salim was shot dead in the prison. Afterwards, it was found that Devendra Jagtap, who carried out the shooting, had kept in touch with external gang member Chota Shakir through his mobile phone and received orders to kill Salim.
- In April 2014, Uday Pathak, the main suspect who was sentenced for the 2011 Kural quadruple murder case, continued to direct gang activities in Arthur Road Prison using a mobile phone smuggled into the prison.
Continuous upgrade of prison security system
Although the installation of new phone signal jammers is expected to improve the security situation in prisons, prison security management still faces many challenges. With the development of technology, criminals are also constantly looking for new ways to circumvent security monitoring. Therefore, the prison department will continue to find and introduce more advanced technologies to cope with increasingly complex security issues.
At the same time, the prison administration also plans to further improve the communication monitoring system inside the prison, not only by physically shielding the signal, but also by making technological innovations in information monitoring and data security. With the further popularization of mobile phone signal jammers, it is expected to effectively combat illegal communications in prisons on a larger scale and provide reference experience for other prisons.
The upgrade and expansion of phone signal jammers in prisons in Maharashtra is not only to deal with the current communication security issues in prisons, but also an important attempt to modernize prison management. Through these innovative measures, the government aims to ensure stricter security communication inside and outside prisons, combat prison crimes and external gang forces, and ensure that prisons can better perform their penal and reform functions.
