Nine Hindalga jail staffers suspended

Action followed threat call made by an inmate to Mumbai builder

Nine staff members at the Central Prison, Hindalga, were suspended by the Department of Prisons on Friday for their failure to check the use of mobile phones by convicts — one of whom is said to have made a threatening call to a Mumbai builder who was shot at late last month. 

Rajaram M, a builder from Mumbai, had survived a murderous bid on his life when unidentified persons shot at him, well-informed sources said. He had been getting calls for ransom before he was shot at. One such call is believed to have originated in Belgaum. 

Mumbai police later traced the call to the mobile phone tower at Hindalga where the prison is also located. It is suspected that the call was made by a member of Chhota Rajan gang, Bachcha Khan, who is lodged in the prison on the charge of making ransom calls. 
The Mumbai police team visited the prison and held discussions with the Superintendent of Police, Sandeep Patil, who has since confirmed the development. 

According to him, the team came to Belgaum earlier in the week to verify the authenticity of the calls that originated in the Hindalga mobile phone tower. 

S Ravi, DIGP, Department of Prisons, visited the jail on Thursday and probed the call allegedly made by the inmate. He then recommended suspension of nine staff members for their failure to check the illegal use of mobile phone. The suspension was announced on Friday, Ravi told Deccan Herald. 
The suspended staffers are jailors Ashok Bajantri and Shivapur, chief warders K N Barkara and Hunsimarad, and warders Shankar Bandre, Shirol, Rajput, Makhdoom and Angadi, sources claimed. Officially, however, their names have not been disclosed.