The Jammu & Kashmir Police in a surprise raid conducted inside Central Jail Kot Balwal, Jammu have recovered mobile phones and SIM cards from the possession of militants lodged inside.
Sources said that a police team raided the jail and recovered three mobile phones and some SIM cards from the possession of Pakistani militants lodged there. The raid was carried out after the arrested of a Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) over-ground-worker (OGW) by the Police from RS Pura area on Saturday morning
“During questioning the arrested OGW made important disclosures relating to links with militants inside the jail. Subsequently, a case FIR no 63/2020 US 13,17,39 UAPA and 121-A IPC was registered and investigation took up,” they said and added that the mobile phone recovered from him led the police to the jail.
“Vital leads were developed by investigation teams during questioning of the arrested OGW following which police under the supervision of SSP Jammu raided the high-security Kot Bhalwal Jail,” the sources said and added the searches were carried out after the OGW disclosed that he was in constant touch with the detained militants via phone.
A senior police official said they cannot rule out the involvement of the jail staff in providing mobile phone facilities to militants and other hardcore criminals in the prison.
In January 2019, in a similar raid, police had recovered mobile phones, sharp-edged weapons and deep freezers from Kot Bhalwal jail. The high-security prison, where the UN-designated terrorist, Masood Azhar, was once detained, has over 500 prisoners, including Pakistani and local militants.
In February 2018, the Centre had asked the J&K government to fully review the security measures inside jails and transportation of inmates after a Pakistan militant, Naved Jatt, who was subsequently killed in an encounter with security forces, managed to escape.