Organising E-Mulakat, enhancing frisking standards and using drones to keep surveillance on prison premises are some of the ways suggested by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs to curb smuggling inside prisons, news agency ANI reported.
'Ganja' and cell phones are among common contraband items that are most frequently smuggled into the prisons, a report of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs showed. The report accessed by ANI said this fact came to the fore during its interactive sessions with various state and Union Territory (UT) governments.
"During its interactive sessions with various state and Union Territory (UT) governments, the committee was informed that Ganja and cell phones are the common contraband items that are most frequently smuggled into the prisons among others," ANI reported.
The 245th report of the committee on the subject ‘Prison-Conditions, Infrastructure and Reforms’ was submitted to the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha on the last day of the recently concluded special session that started on September 18.
The report said that the Tamil Nadu government informed that the throw method using a catapult is one of the common approaches employed to smuggle the contraband into the prisons.
The committee observes in the report that articles like "cell phones inside the prison are used by the inmates to operate criminal activities outside the prison", ANI reported.
"Possession of cell phones in the hands of the prisoners can also stir up gang wars inside jails. Usage of ganja and other narcotics in prison compromises the reformation and rehabilitation of the inmates," the Parliamentary Committee's report stated.
The committee further noted that the prison staff helps prisoners to get the contraband inside the prison.
Suggestions by the committee
As per the report, the committee also suggested authorities organise "e-Mulakat" or video conferencing to reduce the smuggling of contraband into the prison.
It also recommended enhancing frisking standards in all the state prisons keeping in view the negative impact the contrabands can have on the reformation of prisoners.
"The MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) should set benchmark frisking standards to curb the entry of contraband articles and in turn prevent gang wars. All the state and UT governments shall comply with such standards," recommended the committee.
The committee also suggested the use of drones in prisons to keep aerial surveillance and sniffer dog squads for detecting contraband.
The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs is chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Brijlal who is also a former DGP of UP Police, ANI reported.
(With inputs from ANI)
First Published: Sept 28, 2023 3:13 PM IST
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