Undertrial prisoner caught with mobile phone hidden in footwear in Thane jail

Thane: An undertrial prisoner has been found in possession of a mobile phone which he had hidden in his footwear inside the Thane Central Jail in Maharashtra, police said on Thursday.

The matter came to light on December 30, 2024, when a jail sepoy was carrying out the inspection of barrack no. 3 of the new prison section where around 200 prisoners are lodged, an official from Thane Nagar police station said.

He found one sandal of the prisoner, Hemant Parasmal Sethia (38), lying on the floor, while the other one was missing. After a search, the other sandal was found lying at some distance in the barrack but it was unusually heavy, the official said.

On checking, the sepoy found a mobile phone with its screen broken concealed inside the footwear. The phone had certain markings, indicating it belonged to the prisoner, he said.

A case was registered against the prisoner under relevant legal provisions and a probe was on to find out how he got the mobile phone into the barrack, the official said.

The accused was lodged at the prison since September 30, 2023 after being arrested in a criminal case registered with the Kashimira police here, he said.