Rs 126-Crore jail security upgrade to check silent mode mobile usage behind bars
Silent mode inside jail-Alarming outside: 17 Mobiles recovered from Ferozepur Jail
Ferozepur, January 10, 2026: The persistent menace of illegal mobile phone usage on silent mode inside jails has once again come to the fore with the recovery of 17 mobile phones from 16 prisoners at Central Jail, Ferozepur, during routine searches conducted between January 1 and January 8, 2026.
Added here despite three-layer security arrangements, mobile phones continue to find their way behind bars. Sources indicate that phones are often thrown over high jail walls, particularly from open areas or nearby high-rise buildings. However, the possibility of lapses or connivance on the part of security staff cannot be ruled out.
Yet, the pressing question remains as to when and how the silent ringing of mobile phones behind prison walls will finally be silenced.
According to the crime report, during different searches, mobile phones—both touchscreen and keypad models, along with SIM cards—were recovered from several undertrials and convicts. The recoveries included 16 inmates identified as Sukhwinder Singh, Kajdeep Singh alias Mota, Mohit alias Kaka, Bobby alias Gulli, Gurjeet Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Vishal, Harpreet Singh, Kamal Kumar, Akashdeep Singh, Lovepreet Singh alias Laddu, Simranpreet Singh, Lovepreet Singh, Love Bhatti, Jaswinder Singh, and Sahil alias Kala. and meanwhile, a case has been registered under Section 52-A of the Prisons Act, and Investigating Officer Sharma Singh is carrying out further investigation.
What is more alarming is the rising trend of mobile recoveries in Ferozepur jail. The data reveals that 70 mobile phones were seized in 2019, 130 in 2020, 265 in 2021, 437 in 2022, 469 in 2023, and around 500 in 2024. In 2025 alone, more than 649 mobile phones were recovered from jails,, highest in the last six years. Shockingly, even before two weeks of 2026 have passed, the recovery of 17 mobiles has raised serious questions about jail administration and enforcement.
It is pointed out that, except in high-profile cases, prisoners are rarely taken on police remand for deeper investigation due to security risks involved in transporting them from jail to police stations. This, they argue, allows the illegal use of mobiles—often in silent mode—to continue unchecked for criminal activities.
In response to the growing crisis, the Punjab government has launched a ₹126-crore project to strengthen jail security. The initiative includes the installation of AI-based CCTV surveillance systems and X-ray baggage scanners in 13 sensitive jails across the state, to curb the entry of mobile phones and other contraband.