Smart phones, Wi-Fi routers, cash seized from cell of Aftab Ansari, mastermind of 2002 American Centre-attack: Official

CM Suvendu Adhikari in May said that mobile phones, including smartphones, were being extensively used inside Presidency Correctional Home

Jail authorities seized smart phones and Wi-Fi routers among other electronic communication devices from the cell of Aftab Ansari, mastermind of the 2002 American Centre attack case, inside the Presidency Correctional Home in Kolkata, police said on Saturday.

“Some electronic communication devices were seized from the cell of Aftab Ansari last week. A case has bene registered. The matter is under investigation now,” said a senior officer aware of the developments.

The items were seized during a surprise raid on August 23, and a case was registered on Friday, officer said.

People aware of the matter said that the list of items seized from Ansari’s cell include three smartphones, including an iPhone, three SIMs, two routers, a Wi-Fi hot spot, two card readers, a pen drive, wireless earbuds, OTG adapter and cables and cash to the tune of Rs. 31,000.

The development comes months after the West Bengal government suspended the superintendent and the chief controller of Presidency Correctional Home, following allegations that inmates were using mobile phones inside the facility.

This is, however, not the first time that phones have been recovered from jails in the state.

West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari in May said that mobile phones, including smartphones, were being extensively used inside Presidency Correctional Home and that a some jail officials was involved in this.

Adhikari had said 23 mobile phones were seized from the jail premises during joint operations involving prison authorities and the Kolkata Police.

Ansari is serving a life sentence in the prison after being convicted in the American Center attack case. Five persons including four police constables were killed and 20 were left injured when two motorbike-borne killers carried out a shooting attack on the American Centre security staff on January 22, 2002.