Tanveer Singh Kapoor, Pune
AI-based CCTV cameras will be installed in prisons in Delhi to enhance security and cover blind spots where cameras are not installed, as stated by an official from Delhi prison authorities on Wednesday, July 19.
Officials said jailed criminals often use these blind spots for illegal activities such as smuggling phones and exchanging banned products. An unnamed official said the PWD is also installing high grills at many locations to ensure that criminals do not try to escape and flee. In February, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal approved the formation of a 10-member expert committee headed by the director general to select the best signal jammers in order to stop inmates of Delhi prisons from using mobile phones.
The move came when the prisons department sent a proposal to the Delhi government to constitute a high-level technical committee to find and test solutions to bolster the signal jammers in Delhi jails. Delhi has three prison complexes – Tihar prison complex, the Rohini prison complex, and the Mandoli prison complex. These prisons are currently home to around 13,000 inmates, according to the authorities.
On average, at least 10 mobile phones are smuggled into Tihar jail every day via various methods, said a senior Delhi Police officer. The officer added that until now, jammers could never be effectively installed inside Tihar since the residents’ welfare associations in neighboring localities often complained to authorities about poor network and connectivity.
The new jammers work with advanced technology and can determine and specifically fix the area of restriction for networks, without impacting surrounding areas.