HC gives Punjab two weeks to submit plan on jammer installation in jails

The Punjab and Haryana high court has rapped the Punjab government for dilly-dallying on steps to improve security measures at jails, including installation of jammers

The Punjab and Haryana high court has rapped the Punjab government for dilly-dallying on steps to improve security measures at jails, including installation of jammers.

The Punjab and Haryana high court was informed by the counsels about the rampant use of phones inside jails. (HT/Representative image)

The high court bench of chief justice RS Jha and justice Arun Palli came down heavily on the state government and observed that the matter was pending since 2011, but no concrete solution has been placed by the state before court in respect of installation of jammers and taking up other security measures in prisons.

“Apparently, it seems that no steps are likely to be taken by the state in the future as well. Security measures in prisons in Punjab are urgently required to be taken by the state government. It is in the given circumstances that the state is required to take urgent measures to procure and install jammers in prisons,” the bench observed during resumed hearing of a 2011 suo motu plea on facilities in jails.

Earlier, court was informed by the counsels about the rampant use of phones inside jails, while also referring to how the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala had revealed that gangsters lodged in jails were using social media. The counsels had also referred to other such incidents being reported from various Punjab jails every now and then.

The state’s counsel had submitted that a decision has been taken to request the BSNL to install jammers in 13 prisons subject to the proposal being allowed by the Centre. The functionality of the project would be assessed by the state government, which would be subject to availability of budget, the state’s counsel had told court. The miffed court while posting the matter for September 5 directed the state’s counsel to place on record the specific timeline for implementing the necessary security measures in jails, including installation of jammers, within two weeks.