Two jail warders dismissed for sumggling contraband

Jaipur: Two jail warders were dismissed and one suspended by the jail department Sunday after they were found helping inmates smuggle mobile phones, SIM cards, chargers, tobacco, and other banned items into prison facilities. The jail department has warned of stern action against employees found smuggling such items into jails, following threat calls made to top politicians, including chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, by inmates.
Bhajan Lal, a jail warder at Udaipur central jail, and Sanjay Kumar, a state-appointed guard at Jaipur central jail, were both dismissed from service. Rajesh Bishnoi, posted at Jodhpur central jail, was suspended.
DIG Jails, Monika Agarwal, said the action comes amid rising concerns about threats being issued from inside prisons and the circulation of prohibited items among inmates. The jail department launched an internal probe which included reviewing CCTV footage from various jails.
On July 12, 2024, at Udaipur central jail, Bhajan Lal was caught on camera tossing a parcel into the prison from near tower number three. The parcel was found containing four mobile phones, three batteries, and ten packets of tobacco marked "Shankar brand." He was arrested the same day, suspended on July 13, and formally dismissed from service on Saturday.
In another incident at Jaipur central jail, 22 mobile phones were found in three separate packets thrown behind the jail mess on the night of August 30, 2024. Investigations pointed to Sanjay Kumar's involvement. He was arrested and sent to judicial custody before being dismissed from duty on Sunday.
On March 31, 2024, during a surprise inspection under "Operation Clean Sweep" at Jodhpur central jail, officials seized 16 mobile phones, nine SIM cards, one charger, and a data cable. Police at Ratnada police station found that jail guard Rajesh Bishnoi helped supply SIM cards to inmates. He was arrested on Saturday, suspended from duty, and transferred to the headquarters in Jaipur.