Android phones found in Chautala's Tihar jail cell

A week after IANS reported how internet telephony was helping gangsters make a killing from NCR jails, authorities in Tihar jail conducted a surprise check and found two high-end Android mobile phones hidden beneath the bedsheet of former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala who is lodged there, an officer said on Friday.

The cellphones were recovered from Chautala's cell at 6 a.m. on Thursday after officials in Tihar jail conducted a surprise inspection in Jail No. 2.

"Two Android mobile phones, a charger, some tobacco powder and a wire were recovered during the surprise check at Ward No. 3. The search officer got suspicious by Chautala's body language and on seeing a wire hanging out from beneath his bedsheet. Earlier, we got a tip-off that mobile phones were used in Jail No. 2," Tihar Central Jail AIG Raj Kumar said.

When officials asked who owned the cellphones, Chautala's co-inmate Ramesh took the responsibility. He also claimed to have sneaked in all the prohibited items into the cell, the officer said.

Locked up in connection with a corruption case, Chautala shares his sell with two inmates. Incidentally, the former Haryana Chief Minister returned to Tihar jail on Wednesday after his 21-day furlough got over.

"We are scanning the call detail records (CDR) of the mobile phones to find out who were in touch with the owner of the phones. We are also tracking the previous locations of the phones ," another official of the jail told IANS.

"It has been found that Chautala was in regular touch with his family members, his advocate and some leaders of his party," he added.

On Thursday, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) announced that Chautala would remain the national President of the party after reorganising the outfit ahead of the Assembly elections in Haryana.

A probe has been initiated to track the source behind sneaking prohibited items into the high security prison, the official said.

"We are suspecting some of the jail employees of being involved in this wrongful practice in exchange of money," he said.

IANS on June 6 reported how gangsters lodged in Tihar and NCR jails were using mobile phones and internet calls to run their gangs and also to execute contract killing in the national capital.

--IANS

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