Over 20 inmates of Tihar Jail allegedly injured themselves in a bid to resist from the jail staff when the authorities went to their prison cells to search mobile phones after receiving information regarding illegal use of cellphones from there, jail officials said on Thursday.
Four of the injured inmates were sent to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for treatment and rest of the injured were treated in the jail dispensary, Tihar jail officials said.
According to jail officials, the ruckus started when the jail administration conducted searches of prison cells after receiving
information about illegal use of mobile phones inside the prison.
During the search, authorities recovered several keypad mobile phones and one improvised sua. In the meantime, staff of the jail CCTV control room noticed unusual movement of inmates in the barracks from where the above recovery was made. Further inquiry was conducted and inmates were questioned regarding the mobile phones, which resulted in recovery of one SIM card and an improvised mobile charger, officials said.
During questioning one of the inmates admitted to possession of another Keypad Mobile Phone, which he was asked to handover. The staff accompanied him from the control room to the barrack for recovery of the said hidden mobile phone, however, on reaching the barrack he was instigated by other co-inmates present there not to handover the mobile phone to the prison administration, following that the other inmates started abusing the jail staff and over 20 inmates allegedly inflicted self-injuries to browbeat the jail staff, officials said.
During the ruckus, one of the inmates took out the hidden mobile and called up his family members, who then called PCR-112, alleging inmates were being beaten inside the prison cell by the jail staff, officials said.
Subsequently, the review of the CCTV recordings during the commotion led to recovery of the hidden mobile phone, which was used by one of the inmates for calling up his family members. The CCTV recordings of ruckus, which took place during the search, have been preserved, officials said.
The jail authority has also lodged a complaint with Delhi Police at Hari Nagar police station and further action as per the Delhi Prison Rules is being taken against defaulting inmates.
