The authorities in Kashmir claimed recovery of a large number of operational cell phones from separatist prisoners from a jail in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Sunday. The phones, they said, were used to issue directions for instigating public unrest in the valley. Two phones have reportedly been recovered from senior separatist leader Masarat Alam.
Police sources said as many as 14 mobile phone sets were recovered from the jail premises after Baramulla police and sub-jail security launched a crackdown.
“We have unearthed a major separatist network from the jail,” a police officer said. He said besides the phone sets some material used to “instigate” people was also recovered.
Sources said that two mobile phones have been recovered from the possession of jailed Hurriyat Conference leader Masarat Alam, who was the main brain behind the 2010 public uprising in Kashmir.
Alam was arrested in 2010 fall and released after 5 years in March 2015 when PDP-BJP alliance took over. However, he was re-arrested 40 days
later when he raised ‘objectionable slogans’ in a rally in Srinagar. Even as the State High Court has quashed his detention orders several times, the authorities have been re-arresting him on different charges.
Source said that a jail official had been recently threatened by suspected militants who also set his vehicle on fire. The incident led to the police crackdown on the jail inmates.
The police said that some cell phones were also used for internet connectivity besides telephonic conversations.
The police said a report has been registered and investigations have begun to find out as to how the cell phones were smuggled into the jail premises and if there was an insider’s hand in the conspiracy.
In a statement, police said investigation was on to know as to how these articles, not authorised as per jail manual, have made entry into jail premises.