Kerala police registered a case against relatives of a Popular Front of India (PFI) terrorist, presently lodged in high-security Viyuur Central jail in Thrissur district, for smuggling a SIM card concealed in a Quran. The incident occurred on October 31, when TS Sainudeen’s father, Mohd. Nasar, wife, Nadira, and son Mohd. Yaseen came to meet him.
On detailed examination, the police found a SIM card hidden somewhere in a Quran that Sainudeen’s family had brought. Sainuddin hails from Peruvanthanam in Idukki and was the Kottayam district secretary of the PFI. In September, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officers arrested him and other PFI leaders in a pre-dawn swoop.
On the complaint of the Jail Superintendent, the Viyyur Police registered a case against all three visitors. Police are looking to find the owner of the SIM card, and some reports suggest that Sainudeen was using the same SIM before his arrest. Meanwhile, the NIA has also taken cognizance of the matter. An investigation has been initiated into the incident.
A case was registered under non-bailable sections of the Prisoners Act for smuggling prohibited items into the jail. After checking and confirming the address on the SIM, further steps will be taken. The SIM card has been forwarded to Cyber Cell for verification. NIA might register cases under the UAPA since the matter involves national security.
The police said the accused would be taken into custody after checking the SIM address. The police started investigating the day after the transfer took place. It has been almost a week since the incident, and no arrests have been made as yet.
The incident has strengthened allegations that terrorist inmates use mobile phones inside prisons. However, security officers could not find any mobile phones in the jail. Earlier, the police, during a raid, had recovered mobile phones and chargers from the Viyyur Central Prison.
Last month, multiple mobile phones were recovered from Kannur Central Jail, where several PFI terrorists are lodged. Some phones without SIM cards were buried near the jail block’s toilets. On the complaint of the superintendent, Kannur town police registered a case and started an investigation.
In early October, mobile phones were found hidden on a coconut tree near the sixth block. Around 40 PFI leaders are housed in this block. There are hundreds of PFI terrorists accused of hartal violence in Kannur central jail.
Police detained Abdul Aziz, a Kannur native, when he tried to smuggle a mobile phone into the prison. Aziz told the officers that he was instructed by someone from inside the prison to do so. Subsequently, the police searched the jail and found several mobile phones.
A jail superintendent was also suspended after two kilos of ganja were recovered from the Kannur central jail kitchen. The officer failed to notify the jail ADGP of this serious security breach. Back then, there were allegations that police officers were made scapegoats for the security breach, leading to resentment within the police force.
A year ago, thieves stole around one lakh rupees from the jail chapatti counter. For many years, jails in Kerala have run food counters called Freedom Food Factory, which sell food prepared by inmates. Police are yet to arrest the accused in this case.
Hindupost had earlier reported how as recently as 2018, LeT South India commander and Keralite Thadiyantavide Nazeer was accused of threatening witnesses of the Bengaluru blast from the jail using mobile phones. Shocking details emerged after a police officer named Dinesh was arrested for trying to sneak mobile phone and SIM cards to Nazeer. Dinesh was one of the security personnel who regularly brought Nazeer to the court during the hearing.
Robberies, the use of drugs, and terrorists using mobile phones inside prisons that are protected with supposedly ‘sophisticated’ security systems raises uncomfortable questions. What prevents Kerala police from arresting terrorist accomplices and sympathizers, and why? Public sympathy for Kerala police has dipped after the NIA revealed that hundreds of PFI sympathizers had infiltrated the police force.
https://hindupost.in/terrorism/pfi-terrorists-using-qurans-to-smuggle-sim-cards-into-jail/