Jailed Atiq watching films? Pen drives found in barrack
LUCKNOW/GORAKHPUR: Mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad, currently lodged in Deoria jail, apparently watches movies in his barrack to pass time.
Four pen drives containing multiple movies were found in Ahmad’s barrack number 7 in Deoria jail during a surprise raid conducted by the district administration on Thursday, confirmed a senior jail official.
He said detailed inquiry confirmed that the pen drives contained several Bollywood movies.
The recovery of pen drives indicated that Ahmad must be watching movies inside jail and would have arranged a cell phone or other electronic gadget, added the official.
“There were inputs that Ahmad had multiple SIM cards and mobile phones with him in the jail, but no such recoveries were made from his barrack. However, a cell phone, its charger and four SIM cards were found from barrack number 4, which is very close to Ahmad’s barrack,” said the official.
Moreover, a kitchen knife was recovered from another barrack close to Ahmad’s barrack during the two-hour-long checking drive in the jail, he added.
He said the raid was led by Deoria district magistrate Sujeet and superintendent of
police Rohan P Kanay.
Ahmad is lodged in jail after his arrest for assaulting staff of an agricultural university in Allahabad in February 2017. He was earlier lodged in Naini Central Jail of Allahabad and shifted to Deoria in April this year, said the officer.
The official said the surprise raid was part of the ongoing drive to intensify security measures in all 71 jails across Uttar Pradesh.
The drive was launched in wake of recovery of a pistol and cartridges in Baghpat jail, where dreaded gangster Prem Prakash Singh alias Munna Bajrangi was shot dead by another gangster Sunil Rathi, a murder convict also lodged in the same jail. Rathi was shifted to Fatehgarh Central Jail on July 9.
ADG (prison) Chandra Prakash
confirmed some objectionable items were recovered during the surprise search in Deoria jail and a report had been sent to the state government in the matter.
He said an inquiry had been ordered to find out how these items were allowed inside and stern action would be taken against those found involved in arranging such items for prisoners.
A mobile phone recording of Atiq Ahmad went viral in which he allegedly threatened a businessman from inside the jail to pay extortion money.
Ahmed, who has contested several elections from jail, was arrested multiple times under different criminal charges. He was later held for assaulting staff of an agricultural university on December 2016.