Video of prisoners using hot plates, mobiles goes viral

VARANASI: Two days after the recovery of hot plates (electric stoves), vegetables, food items, mobile phones and chargers from Mau jail in a joint raid conducted by the district magistrate and SP, a video of prisoners using these items went viral on Wednesday.
The video also shows easy availability of drugs like heroin. SP Mau Anurag Arya claimed it to be an old video but ordered inspector local intelligence unit (LIU) to examine the video to identify the prisoners and find out the time of the recording of the video. A report on recoveries from the jail had already been sent to home department of the state government.
On Wednesday, a video went viral on social media showing prisoners in barrack 7 of circle 2 of the Mau jail cooking food and tea on heaters connected with hidden sockets. Besides, the person recording the video also claimed easy availability of heroin inside the jail and even showed some prisoners talking on mobile phone.
On being questioned on recording visuals of barrack, the person told the prisoners that he would make it viral on social media. He also quoted names of two officials of the same jail claiming that they deliberately serve poor quality food to compel the prisoners to pay them hefty amount to avail such facilities.
On being contacted, the SP said, “I also went through this video. In the visuals many prisoners were covered with blankets while many were in track suits or clothes are usually worn in winters on the basis of which it is suspected that this video was recorded several months ago.”
Arya disclosed that many heaters and wires were found thrown behind some barracks while three mobile phones, four chargers, vegetables and other food articles, which are not allowed inside barracks were recovered during a raid conducted by the DM Mau and him on July 7.
A report on these recoveries had been sent to the home department for necessary actions against the concerned, he said adding that inspector LIU had been asked to examine the video to identify the prisoners and to ascertain the time of recording of the video.