Smartphone without SIM card recovered from Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu

Srinagar, Jul 23: The jail authorities at Kot Bhalwal Jail, also known as Jammu Central Jail, recovered a smartphone from inside the high-security premises, officials said Wednesday.

The mobile phone, found without a SIM card, has been handed over to the Jammu and Kashmir Police for further investigation.

Authorities suspect that the SIM card may have been deliberately concealed, potentially indicating deeper concerns regarding communication networks within the jail.

The recovery, which comes after over a week of surveillance and intelligence gathering by jail officials, has led to the registration of a formal case at Police Station Jagti under FIR No 74.

The phone has been sent for forensic examination to determine its contents, usage patterns, and possible communication links.

Kot Bhalwal Jail houses dozens of high-profile inmates, including terrorists and individuals accused of serious offences. Given the sensitive nature of those incarcerated, the presence of an unauthorised mobile device raises alarms about possible external communication.

This incident is not isolated.

In recent years, security forces and jail authorities in J&K have recovered several mobile phones from high-security jails across J&K, including from Srinagar, Baramulla, and Udhampur prisons. In many of these cases, mobile phones were found hidden inside food packets, shoe soles, bathroom fittings, and even inside pillows.

According to senior jail officials, the recent recovery at Kot Bhalwal followed “credible inputs” about a mobile device being used inside the premises.

After discreet monitoring and a targeted search operation, the phone was recovered.

While no SIM card was found, authorities believe that it may have been hidden separately to avoid detection or later inserted for brief usage periods.

“The forensic examination will help us determine if the device was used to access the internet, social media, or make encrypted calls. We are also trying to trace how the phone entered the jail and whether it was smuggled in with external help,” senior officials said.

The J&K administration has previously issued guidelines to beef up jail security, including the installation of mobile signal jammers, increased CCTV surveillance, and regular frisking of inmates and visitors.