Intensify patrolling around Central Jail, Amritsar police urged

Close on the heels of suspension of around 26 jail officials from various jails in the state, the sneaking in of mobile phones and other prohibited material has been going on unabated in the high-security Amritsar Central Jail here.

In order to tighten the noose around corrupt officials in the jail department, the Punjab Government recently suspended around 26 officials, however, this has apparently did not deter offenders from committing crimes.

Following this, Amritsar Central Jail authorities have urged the city police to intensify the patrolling around the jail complex.

The Central Jail is located in the densely populated area due to which the throwing of prohibited material regularly into the premises being reported. At present, there is only one QRT (Quick Response Team) deputed near the jail complex.

Jail staff recently recovered as many as 11 cell phones and five SIMs from nine jail inmates during a surprise checking. Though jail officials said they were not seized in a single go but were recovered over a period of time.

Hemant Sharma, Superintendent of Jail, when contacted claimed that the ‘Fenka’ (throwing of prohibited material from outside) have gone down considerably. He said they have strengthened patrolling alongside the boundary walls of the jail complex, besides increasing the number of cops to intercept Fenka.

Nevertheless, he added that because of location of the jail in the densely populated area, the problem of fenka is there. Already senior jail officials have asked the local police for increasing security around the Central Jail. He urged Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar for intensifying patrolling around the jail to discourage public movement near the boundary walls.

As per information, around 200 mobile phones were recovered by jail staff since January this year, apart from other prohibited materials, including narcotic powder, head phones, cable leads, etc.

As many as 960 mobile phones were confiscated from the Amritsar Central Jail complex in 2024 which was more than double the seizures (450) recorded in 2023.

Amritsar