Just phone call away

Even as the stamp paper scam blot travels across the country, its kingpin Abdul Kareem Lala Telgi is perhaps calling up aides from his cell ...

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Even as the stamp paper scam blot travels across the country, its kingpin Abdul Kareem Lala Telgi is perhaps calling up aides from his cell in the Central Prison here. The prison authorities wouldn’t know — the jail still does not have jammers to stop its high-profile inmates from running their business unhindered.

Besides Telgi, several other undertrials and criminals at the prison in Parappana Agrahara are allegedly using cellphones with the connivance of the jail staff. The state government recently submitted transcripts of conversations between Telgi and his associates to the Mumbai High Court.

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Even officials of StampIt, the special team probing the racket, suspect that the racketeer was directing his aides in New Delhi and other places. The state Lokayukta is probing the charges that jail authorities were hand-in-glove with him.

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Despite the allegations, the Prisons Department has done little to check the use of mobile phones, except for taking disciplinary action against one or two officials.

Director General of Prisons (DGP) Y.S. Rao, who took charge just a few days ago, admits that the prison does not have jammers. ‘‘I am examining all aspects and necessary steps will be taken,’’ Rao told The Indian Express.

Telgi has been lodged here ever since he was arrested by the City Police in 2001 except for brief visits to Mumbai. Other ‘‘high profile’’ undertrials include don Muthappa Rai and Swami Shradananda.

Former Prisons DGs H.T.Sangliana and S.N.Borkar have called upon the administration to install jammers at the jail. But nothing has been done so far.

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Senior officers of the department are surprised over the way cellphones are being used freely in jail. ‘‘If an inmate has used a mobile phone from jail, why are those responsible for allowing him to do so not booked?’’ a senior officer said. Some officers even wonder if it was an intelligent move to allow Lala to speak to his contacts and then trap them as Stampit had been listening in.