Delhi jails get metal detecting devices

Delhi Prisons have acquired 10 non-linear junction detectors to find hidden mobile phones and metal objects in jails. The devices can detect objects buried up to two feet in the ground or concrete. The machines were purchased from a US-based company at a cost of ₹1.5 crore. This move comes after the murder of a gangster inside Tihar jail, prompting the prison authorities to remove dangerous objects from the wards.

The Delhi Prisons have procured 10 non-linear junction detectors to recover mobile phones and metal objects hidden by prisoners inside jails, officials of Delhi Prisons said on Saturday. The machines were procured from a US-based firm, they added.

After the murder of gangster Tillu Tajpuriya inside Tihar jail on May 2, the Delhi Prisons issued a circular to remove “dangerous objects” from its wards. (HT Archive)

Director General of Delhi Prisons Sanjay Baniwal confirmed the development and said 10 cellphones and metal object detectors have been procured. “We are equipping our jail staffers with modern gadgets to make their jobs more effective. The detectors would help them recover the phones prisoners hide inside the jails. The device will also be instrumental in detecting metal devices,” said Baniwal.

A senior jail official said these detectors can even trace objects buried at a depth of up to two feet in the ground or concrete.

“We had ordered two non-linear junction detectors in 2021 and used them on a trial basis. The outcome was satisfying, following which the department decided to procure more devices from a US-based organisation. The device can detect mobile phones, SIM cards and metals through concrete which may be buried up to one to two feet,” the officer said.

Each device costs ₹15 lakh and the department has spent ₹1.5 crore for 10 such devices.

The three jails in Delhi—Tihar, Mandoli and Rohini—have a capacity to accommodate 10,026 inmates. However, 17,906 undertrial prisoners (UTP) and 2,165 convicts are currently lodged in these three jails, according to officials.

After the brutal murder of gangster Tillu Tajpuriya inside Tihar jail on May 2, the Delhi Prisons issued a circular to remove “dangerous objects” from its wards that could be used by inmates to make improvised weapons. Tajpuriya was stabbed 92 times with improvised weapons by four members of the rival Gogi gang, according to police.