To curb the rampant use of mobile phones and electronic devices inside prisons, the Uttar Pradesh government has approved the installation of advanced mobile jammers in six jails. The state cabinet has sanctioned Rs 9.14 crore for setting up the Tower of Harmonious Call Blocking System (T-HCBC) in district prisons of Lucknow, Chitrakoot, Kasganj, Azamgarh, Ambedkar Nagar, and Bareilly Central Prison-2.
The T-HCBC system, capable of blocking signals from 2G to 5G networks, will ensure that inmates cannot make calls or use internet-based applications. This move comes despite earlier measures, including a 2021 amendment to the Prison Act that made possession or use of mobile phones and electronic gadgets inside jails a cognisable and non-bailable offence.
The law allows for an additional sentence of three to five years and a fine of up to Rs 50,000 for offenders, with provisions to register FIRs against staff found in collusion.
Despite these strict measures, incidents of inmates using mobile phones have continued. Earlier this year, a youth in Ghazipur reported receiving a threatening call from a jailed criminal, while in December 2023, a phone and SIM cards were recovered from the bedding of a murder convict in Bhadohi prison.
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Officials said the new jammer towers would help permanently block unauthorised communications from inside prisons, strengthening jail security and curbing criminal activities.