Extortion Calls Made From Prison: High Court Seeks Jail-Wise Data From Punjab, Haryana & Chandigarh On Seizure Of Phones

While noting the allegations of extortion calls being made from prisons, the Punjab & Haryana High Court has sought jail-wise data from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh with regard to the recovery and seizure of mobile phones. 

A division bench of Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Kirti Sigh said, "It would indeed be a matter of grave concern if the inmates whether undertrials or convicts are making extortion or threatening calls from within the precincts of the jail."

"It would not be difficult for the authorities to sanitize the areas which house the high security inmates or those involved in henious crime including extortion. Such Prisoners are stated to have been put up in a separate high security zones. It is the need of the hour that the high security zones should be immediately sanitized to ensure that there are no extortion/threatening calls by the inmates" the Court added.

The direction came after the court earlier took suo moto cognizance against the use of mobile phones in the Punjab prison.

Advocate Tanu Bedi, Amicus Curiae submitted that she has learnt that there have been several instances where extortion/threatening calls have been made by or on behalf of the inmates of the jail as one such matter pertaining to the State of Punjab was brought to the notice of the Single Bench of the Court.

Counsel for the Punjab Government submitted that an instance was indeed brought to the notice of the Single Bench wherein the witness had stated that he had received a threatening call on behalf of one of the accused but he was on bail.

The Punjab Government also informed the Court about the steps being taken to augment the jail security including the installation of jammers, X-ray machines etc.

However, the Court noted that such a process would take some time.

Consequently, the Court sought jail-wise data with regard to the recovery and seizure of mobile phones from the jails during the last 3 months from the states of Punjab, Haryana and U.T. Chandigarh.

The matter is listed for April 15, for further consideration.

Title: COURT ON ITS OWN MOTION V/S STATE OF PUNJAB ETC.

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