Panaji: The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court has asked the State Prison Administration to install a robust jammer network within the premises of the Central Jail at Colvale in North Goa, while preserving the CCTV footage of the area in a separate pen drive.
In a recent order, Justice Shreeram V Shirsat also took cognisance of the smuggling of mobile phones and contraband within the prison premises. The Judge said that it shocks the conscience that charging points are installed in the jail premises without the knowledge and consent of the in-charge authorities of the jail.
The Court was hearing a petition against Chandu Patil, an accused who is in jail for murdering a minor child and who had allegedly called the victim’s family from the jail premises, issuing veiled threats. The case came before the High Court after it was initially brought to the notice of the Goa Children’s Court.
Justice Shirsat said that although some steps are taken after such an incident is brought to the notice of the trial court, this is not enough. He said that swift, comprehensive, remedial, and stringent measures are required to be taken by the jail authorities to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.
The court order, which has sought a reply from the Jail Administration on January 20, 2026, also pointed out that there are charging points in the cells in the jail at several places, which further shocks the conscience.
The order states that it is not obscure why charging points are installed there and that such installations are certainly not without the knowledge and consent of the in-charge authorities of the jail.
The Judge ruled that the Court has, on several occasions, come across similar incidents where, apart from drugs, mobile phones are smuggled inside jail premises. However, it appears that despite mobile phones having been found earlier inside the jail premises, no concrete steps have been taken to prevent such incidents.
He said that merely taking action against one jail inmate found possessing a mobile phone or contraband will not be a definitive solution and that the root of the matter needs to be addressed.
The HC single bench said that without going into the details of whether mobile network jammers are already installed or not, and proceeding on the assumption that such systems are not installed, the Court is of the considered view that the time has come for the authorities concerned to address the issue with the seriousness it warrants.
The order states that the installation of appropriate mobile network jammers, cellular inspection systems, or other effective technological mechanisms has become imperative to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future and to ensure the maintenance of law, order, and public safety.
The Judge ruled that the Court fails to understand how mobile phones can be so easily slipped in when jail authorities conduct regular inspections.
He questioned whether the inspection is superficial and merely an eyewash, or whether deliberate lax inspection is carried out at the entry point, allowing mobile phones to find their way inside the jail premises.
The Judge said that accountability has to be fixed and that jail authorities cannot remain oblivious to such incidents occurring at regular intervals. He added that taking petty action against a jail inmate after the incident comes to light is not the solution and that stringent measures are the need of the hour.
Referring to the case of Chandu Patil, the Court said that in the present case also, more needs to be done and that the action should not be limited to issuing a show-cause notice.
The order states that Call Detail Records need to be checked, CCTV footage needs to be examined, and tower locations need to be ascertained for the relevant date and time so that accountability is established.
The Judge said that soft punishment for such activities emboldens jail inmates to indulge in such acts.
The order further states that the Deputy Superintendent or Superintendent of the jail must ensure that robust phone jammers or cellular inspection systems are installed forthwith, restricting their operation to jail premises only and not affecting residents in the vicinity. It also directs that additional rules be framed to fix accountability on those found violating inspection norms at the checking counter.
The Court ordered that CCTV cameras be installed at inspection counters during inmate entry, if not already installed, and that personal searches of jail inmates entering the premises be conducted under CCTV surveillance.
The Court also directed that CCTV cameras be installed at mulaqat areas, daily inspection of jail cells be conducted, monitoring of personal physical inspection of visitors meeting jail inmates be recorded, and charging points or portals inside cells be removed.
The recordings of daily CCTV footage should be preserved in a pen drive and submitted to the Deputy Superintendent of Police, who shall keep it in safe custody, the Court ruled.
