All it takes is a smuggled cell phone or a friendly warden for gangsters lodged in jails to continue with their criminal activities.
With the arrest of two persons by the Special Cell last evening, who were allegedly carrying out instructions by a gangster serving time in Deoband jail, put to rest this theory (See Box).
More recently, underworld don Aftab Ansari managed to smuggle a mobile phone into the Kolkata prison with the help of a friendly warden. He used it to SMS his associates in Dubai. His plan was to eliminate Delhi Police ACPs Ravi Shanker and Rajbir Singh.
‘‘Most of the big gangsters currently in jail use the mobile phone to plan and execute their operations outside. The mobile is also easy to conceal and you can always keep it switched off to avoid detection,’’ a senior police official said, citing the example of gangster Kishan Pehalwan who is known for his role in the Mitroun land war between Kapil Gehlot and Anoop Singh.
Police officials allege that Kishan, currently lodged in Rohtak jail, had planned Anoop’s murder, who was shot dead inside the Rohtak court a few months back.
‘‘Kishan planned this while in jail. According to our information, he operates from the jail these days and also helps in settlement and compromise of disputes,’’ a senior police official said.
Officials also cite a case in May this year, when a Pakistani national nearly managed to escape from Tihar jail where he was serving a sentence. Abdul Razzak had been arrested with a cache of arms, ammunition and narcotics. He had planned and conspired with his associates, also serving sentence with him, to break jail.
Officials further inform that Sandeep Bhuri, who was shot in an encounter with the Punjab Police earlier this year, also operated from Tihar jail. Bhuri, a member of the tender mafia would fix the bidding rates as well as make extortion calls from jail, a police official said.
Tihar jail officials, however, say they have taken adequate steps to avoid such incidents. ‘‘We have mobile detectors which emit a warning every time an inmate uses his cell phone. We realised that cell phones were usually used by prisoners lodged in the high-security ward. To detect this, the Tamil Nadu Special Police check these wards. When an inmate uses the cell, he is immediately caught,’’ said Law Officer and Jail spokesperson Sunil Kumar Gupta.
UP gangster sends woman for extortion
THE Special Cell of the Delhi Police arrested two persons last evening for allegedly demanding Rs 5 lakh as extortion money from a West Delhi businessman.
Police said the accused, Rajiv Malik and Nirmala, allegedly worked for an UP-based gangster, currently lodged in Deoband jail.
‘‘The gangster, Mitrpal, started making extortion calls to the businessman from August 8. The victim had received three calls that day. He was asked to pay Rs 5 lakh else he would be killed,’’ said DCP (Special Cell) Ashok Chand.
The threat calls continued intermittently and the West Delhi businessman finally received instructions yesterday to deliver the money. ‘‘He was told that the two persons would be coming to his factory in Sant Nagar in the evening,’’ the DCP said.
Last evening, a police team laid a trap at the complainant’s electronics factory in Sant Nagar. At around 5pm, Malik and Nirmala reached the factory. and allegedly demanded money. They were immediately apprehended.
‘‘During interrogation, the accused told us that they were instructed by Mitrpal to pick up the money from the businessman. He had allegedly been making the extortion calls from Deoband jail itself; we are in the process of verifying this. We are also looking into Mitrpal’s background,’’ the DCP said.
The accused had come to Delhi in a Maruti car with another associate Joginder who managed to escape. Police are now searching for him.