Probe finds calls made from Central Jail’s anda cell, fasi yard

Nagpur: The investigation of city police into the foiled attempt of smuggling cellphone batteries and narcotics inside the Central Jail led to discovery of even more serious facts of calls being frequently made from high security anda cell and fasi yards where convicted Maoist, terrorists and top gangsters are lodged.
On Tuesday, MCOCA accused Suraj Kawale was intercepted at the jail gate after returning from court with 15 cellphone batteries and 51gm of ganja in his chargesheet file.
The ongoing investigations by special crime branch team into the failed attempt of taking the batteries and ganja inside the jail has revealed that Kawale had managed to sneak past the gate guards successfully on an earlier occasion around a month ago.
With call details and other technical analysis, the probe further underlined that use of cellphone is rampant inside the jails and several persons may be using common handsets.
On Wednesday, a team of 150 constables under 50 officers, following an instruction of CP Amitesh Kumar in collaborations with Central Jail’s personnel, conducted four-hour long searches at different places in the prison kicking off at around 6am.
Though the action was aimed at recovering cellphones and narcotics, the joint team could manage to seize 5gm ganja from a murder accused from Kalamna who is now booked in a fresh offence during the action monitored by DCP, detection, Chinmay Pandit and zonal DCP Sandeep Pakhale, inside the central prison.
In order to tighten the noose, prison authorities have now sent a vigilance team from Pune for surprise checks in the coming days.
CP Kumar said Prison additional DG Ritesh Kumar has been briefed about the developments and corrective measures are being taken. “We are in the process of taking the custody of sub-inspector Pradeep Nitnawane for his role behind asking his brother, constable Sachin, to transfer Rs45,000 to different people for arranging the cellphone batteries and narcotics,” he said. “Many more arrests are likely,” he said. He added that Kawale’s brother Shubham and gangster Sheikhu’s close aide Atharva Khatakati played key role in the illegal activities.
Though learnt to be unconnected, deputy inspector general (DIG), central jail, eastern region, Swati Sathe’s transfer to Pune amid the ongoing controversy also fuelled speculations about the timing of the administrative decision. But, it is learnt Sathe shall continue to hold charges in Nagpur.