PANAJI
Despite repeated directions from the High Court of Bombay at Goa and assurances from prison authorities of a time-bound action plan to curb the use and smuggling of mobile phones inside Colvale Correctional Home, the jail is yet to be equipped with the robust mobile-jamming system ordered by the court.
The apparent lack of progress comes amid a government-ordered inquiry into alleged large-scale illegalities at the facility, where mobile phones and other contraband continue to be recovered. Official sources told The Goan that there has been no visible progress on the installation of mobile jammers.
“We had learnt that the Prisons Department would be installing mobile phone jammers at Colvale Jail after the High Court flagged rampant use of phones. However, there has been no further movement on whether a proposal was moved or where the file is pending at present,” a source said.
In January, the High Court sought details of measures that had remained pending for several years, including mobile phone jammers, expanded CCTV surveillance, cellular inspection systems and tighter checks to prevent the smuggling of phones, chargers and other contraband into the jail.
The court’s concern intensified after an undertrial accused of murdering a 12-year-old boy allegedly made a threatening call to the victim’s family from inside the prison. Justice Shreeram Shirsat had expressed shock over the existence of mobile charging points inside the jail and questioned how handsets continued to enter the premises despite routine inspections.
The court subsequently directed the Deputy Superintendent or Superintendent to ensure the installation of robust mobile jammers or cellular inspection systems forthwith, while making it clear that their operation should be confined to the jail premises. The authorities’ compliance with ea rlier directions also came under scrutiny, with the court describing their response to its December 18, 2025 directions as an “eyewash”. The Prisons Department, in its affidavit, maintained that the mere presence of electrical points inside the jail could not, by itself, be treated as proof of deliberate facilitation of unauthorised mobile phone use or institutional complicity. However, a time-bound action matrix was prepared and CCTV footage was being preserved to identify gaps in surveillance. Meanwhile, more than a dozen mobile phones have reportedly been seized from Colvale Jail in recent weeks, including around seven handsets recovered from cells about five days ago. In the very month when the High Court raised concerns over mobile phone use, an internal raid resulted in the recovery of 48 mobile phones, illicit drugs and electronic accessories, from various cells. A subsequent raid also reportedly led to the recovery of additional handsets from inmates. Official figures show that around 161 mobile phones were confiscated from prisoners between 2017 and May 2025. "A comprehensive audit of all electrical points within the inmates areas, as assured to the High Court, are also not completed so far," the source added.
