The Superintendent of the Birsa Munda Central Jail; Hamid Akthar has submitted a preliminary report to Ranchi district administration regarding use of mobile phones by former Bihar chief minister and RJD president Lalu Prasad while lodged at Kelly’s bungalow in judicial custody.
IG (Jail) Birendra Bhushan confirmed that a report has been sent to Ranchi DC Chhavi Ranjan. Bhushan added that he also expects to get the report by Monday.
While under jail manual prisoners are prohibited to use mobile phones, the jail administration has said that mobile phones could have reached inside Kelly’s bungalow due to carelessness of police personnel of Ranchi police posted on duty at the bungalow. The report says that Ranchi police should be held accountable for the lapses.
The report says that security personnel should have properly frisked people visiting Lalu Prasad as well as Lalu’s attendants. Even Bhushan hinted that police personnel might not have followed security protocol.
Last week Bihar BJP leader Sushil Modi released an audio of a mobile conversation of Lalu Prasad with Bihar BJP MLA Lalan Paswan. Lalu is heard asking Paswan to abstain from election of Speaker of Bihar assembly so that the mahagathbandhan win Speaker’s election. Lalu also offers ministerial berth to Paswan if the newly elected NDA government in Bihar is toppled. Lalu was allegedly using the mobile phone of one of his attendants Irfan Ansari who is also secretary of Jharkhand RJD.
The report has deeply upset Ranchi police which has claimed that authority of Birsa Munda Central Jail is making Ranchi police a scapegoat.
“Ranchi police was responsible for security outside of the bungalow. How can we keep tabs and stop what is going inside the bungalow? Jail administration had provided attendants to Lalu Prasad and we believe that jail administration must have verified their background and associations. How can one blame us If visitors and attendants selected by jail administration violate jail manuals?” an official of Ranchi police said.
Ranchi SSP Surendra Kumar Jha refused to comment on report
“I have not seen the report. I can’t jump to any conclusion without conducting inquiry,” said the SSP.
