Nagpur: More skeletons are likely to tumble out after a massive racket of smuggling banned substances like narcotics, cell phones, batteries and phone chargers inside the Nagpur Central Prison. The city police are likely to arrest more persons in the sensational case.
After Dhantoli Police arrested eight persons, including suspended PSI Pradip Nitnawne from Gadchiroli Range and MCOCA accused Suraj Kanhaiyalal Kawle (22), a resident of Khaperkheda, for allegedly operating the racket, about 350 cops under the supervision of Deputy Commissioners of Police Chinmay Pandit (Detection) and Sandeep Pakhale (Zone-II), Assistant Commissioners of Police Nilesh Salve and Roshan Pandit conducted searches in Central Jail premises from 6 am till 10.15 am on Wednesday.
Gold Rate
Friday 24 Jan. 2025
According to a report in local Times of India, the investigation of city police into the foiled attempt of smuggling cell phone 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 Naxals, terrorists and top gangsters are lodged. With call details and other technical analysis, the probe further underlined that use of cell phones is rampant inside the jails and several persons may be using common handsets.
Other accused Shubham Kawle (Suraj Kawle’s brother), his friend Suraj Waghmare, Moreshwar Sonwane, Mukesh Babu Panjabrao Nayudu, Bhagirath Thardayal and Arthav Khatakhti (one of the members of hardened criminal Sheikhu’s gang) and Sachin, brother of tainted PSI Nitnawne, who is a police constable, also were put behind bars. They were arrested on charges under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and Prisons Act.
PSI Nitnawne was kept in the Central Jail after he was arrested in a rape case registered at Sitabuldi Police Station. Soon after the racket was busted, Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar suspended two policemen — Head Constable Prakash Musale and Naik Police Constable Hemraj Raut — of ‘Aaropi’ Cell for dereliction of duty and instituted a departmental inquiry against them.
According to a report in another local English daily, MCOCA accused Suraj Kawle was caught by a jail guard when he tried to smuggle 51 gram Marijuana and 15 batteries of cell phones of different handsets into the jail on Monday. However, the Crime Branch investigating the case could not lay hands on a single cell phone during the searches. Had the jail authorities informed the police immediately after Suraj Kawle was caught with packets of Marijuana and batteries and timely searches were conducted, the investigators would have certainly traced the cell phones, SIM cards and batteries inside the barracks, the report added.
The report said that the time gap might have helped other accused inside the jail to either hide the cell phones used by them at ‘safe’ places or dispose of them with the assistance of other suspects in the jail.
