13 throws tossed in Ferozepur Jail, 104 in 3 months containing banned items 

HARISH MONGA

Ferozepur, March 29, 2024: As many as 13 packets were thrown in the jail containing banned items.  Recently, one prisoner reported back on parole had brought three packets in the body cavity.  Not only this, there had been 104 throws in the jail during the three months including 13 packets today containing various banned items and 123 mobiles.

Among the other ways of passing the banned items to prisoners like during visits using diverse methods, via newly convicted or returning prisoners or with the connivance of jail staff, there is another method of throwing the packets over the high walls from the open space or high rising buildings.

The tossing of packets despite 24×7 vigil in and outside the jail is unabated and the Ferozepur jail having open space on two sides, while one side is touched by the high-rising buildings, is prone to risk, from a security point of view.  Once the shifting of jail premises on the outskirts of Ferozepur was also planned but later on dropped due to heavy budget involvement.

On opening the 13 packets were thrown from outside in the wee hours around 4.30 AM by unidentified persons.  On opening 243 tobacco sachets, 2 packs of cigarettes, 4 keypad mobiles, one touch screen mobile, one charger, another charger with the adopter and two data cables.

A case under the Prisons Act was registered on the complaint of Sarbjit Singh, Assistant Superintendent and further investigations are on with Balwinder Singh, IO.

A political will and intelligence-based approach is necessary for drugs and other banned items entry to be eliminated from prisons otherwise the purpose of keeping the criminals behind bars for punishment purposes is lost.