Srinagar, Sept 11: Security agencies on Thursday recovered three mobile phones during a search operation inside the high-security district jail in Rajouri, raising serious concerns over prison security in Jammu and Kashmir.
A senior police officer told Rising Kashmir that the raid was conducted based on specific inputs, with multiple teams operating under the supervision of the jail administration. The recovered devices, which did not contain SIM cards, have been sent to a forensic laboratory for further analysis.
A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway to determine how the phones were smuggled into the facility, which is guarded under a three-tier security system.
“The jail premises are digitally secured through jammers, and it is officially claimed that no mobile network is available inside. However, the suspected use of mobile phones from within the prison raises concerns that the jamming systems may have been compromised,” the officer said.
This is not the first such incident in Jammu and Kashmir’s prisons. On July 24 this year, a smartphone was recovered from an undertrial prisoner in Kot Bhalwal Central Jail on the outskirts of Jammu.
In January 2024, another device was seized from a jailed Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist. A more extensive seizure took place in July 2021, when 12 mobile phones, SIM cards, and other electronic gadgets were confiscated during prison searches.
Officials said repeated recovery of communication devices from prisons highlights the need for stronger monitoring and stricter frisking of visitors and staff. The investigation in the latest Rajouri case will also examine possible lapses by jail personnel.
