Breach in Surat jail security as packet containing phone chargers, data cables lands inside
The parcel was spotted by a jail staffer on duty, who handed it to the jailer. According to the FIR, the parcel landed in the yard adjacent to the wall, just ahead of tea time when prisoners come out of their barracks.
The wall behind the jail is about 10 feet high, and next to it is a creek and an agricultural field. Officials are also trying to ascertain whether someone from the jail was involved.
In a security breach at the Surat Central Jail, two men allegedly threw a parcel containing mobile phone chargers, data cables, and a tobacco pouch from over the compound wall into the jail yard.
The parcel was spotted by a jail staffer on duty, who handed it to the jailer. According to the FIR, the parcel landed in the yard adjacent to the wall, just ahead of tea time when prisoners come out of their barracks.
The wall behind the jail is about 10 feet high, and next to it is a creek and an agricultural field. Officials are also trying to ascertain whether someone from the jail was involved.
A complaint in this connection was lodged at Surat’s Sachin police station by Deputy Jailer Piyush Makwana on Tuesday evening, and police registered an offence under BNS Act Sections 223 (disobedience to orders given by public servants), and Prison Act Sections 42, 43, 45 (2).
The FIR states: “Just before the jail barracks were expected to open for all prisoners to be allowed to come out for refreshment and tea, the jail patrolling staffer Kiran Kumar saw a parcel fall on the floor between yard number 5 and 6 on Tuesday morning.”
Kumar checked the nearby area but found nobody and took the parcel to Deputy Jailer Piyush Makwana’s office and shared the details. Deputy Jailer Makwana opened the parcel and found four mobile phone chargers, four data cables, and tobacco pouches, the FIR states.
It adds: “After such discovery, the information was kept hidden from the prisoners, and the barracks were routinely opened for the prisoners’ refreshment to show them that nothing had happened. Later in the afternoon, the jail officials checked the CCTV footage of watchtowers 2 and 3 and found two youths throwing something inside the jail premises on Tuesday morning.”
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The jail authorities reached Sachin police station late Tuesday afternoon and filed a complaint. They also submitted a pen drive containing CCTV footage.
Surat Central Jail Superintendent J N Desai said, “The Central Jail is situated on Surat to Navsari main road at Lajpore village. There are over 3,000 inmates, and the jail campus is spread over 54 acres of land. The front compound wall (protection wall) parallel to the main road is around seven metres high, while the backyard wall of the jail is less than 10 feet high. There is a small creek and several agricultural fields in the backyard of the jail. After a couple of agricultural fields, the residential houses in Lajpore village begin. We have started extending the height of the jail’s backyard wall (protection wall), and the work is still in progress. Due to the alertness of our jail staffer, the parcel was found and caught before the prisoners were released from the barracks on Tuesday morning.”
Sachin police inspector P N Vaghela said, “We have started investigations to identify the two accused involved in this incident. We have also alerted the jail officials to gather information about who the receivers are. The compound wall of the jail’s yard is below ten feet, and the two youths are far from the fields. We have sent our teams to the villages and questioned some people.”
Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs.
Expertise
Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs.
Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including:
Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives.
Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress.
Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli).
Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More
