Contraband Smuggled into Nagpur Central Jail through Tennis Balls
Nagpur Central Jail faces a security breach as contraband items, including narcotics and mobile phones, are concealed in tennis balls and thrown into the facility. The compromised boundary walls have allowed racketeers to exploit gaps and deliver prohibited materials to inmates. Despite a proposed ₹35 crore plan submitted in 2015 to reinforce the boundary and periphery walls, no progress has been made to date. Authorities have discovered illicit items, such as ganja, mobile phones, SIM cards, and batteries, inside the jail on multiple occasions.
Despite stringent searches and inspections, prohibited materials continue to find their way into the facility, according to sources. As the jail authorities intensified vigilance and increased searches at the entrance, smugglers have adapted their methods. They now exploit weak points in the deteriorating boundary walls to reach the jail's periphery and launch tennis balls containing contraband material inside.
Insiders reveal that the tennis balls are meticulously tampered with by cutting them open, concealing narcotics, small mobile handsets, SIM cards, batteries, and sealing the joints with strong adhesive. The balls are then wrapped with tape before being thrown across the periphery wall. Each supplier and recipient adhere to a specific schedule to ensure successful delivery.
Sources suggest that the complicity of certain jail guards or sentries enables this illicit operation, while Dhantoli police intentionally avoid patrolling the area during specific times. Additionally, unmanned jail watchtowers further facilitate contraband smuggling. To combat this issue, jail authorities have introduced drone surveillance, although its effectiveness remains questionable.
A survey of Nagpur Central Jail exposes several sections with non-existent outer boundary walls, particularly in the stretch between Ajni Station Square and Kriplani turning. Makeshift fencing is used to bridge the gaps between different sections of the outer wall. The absence of surveillance from the Dhantoli police station staff in this sensitive area is also notable. Tragically, one individual planning to throw a tennis ball filled with drugs met with a fatal road accident just outside the jail's perimeter.
It has been discovered that Mahametro while constructing the Metro line, left several broken sections in the boundary wall unfinished. Furthermore, they neglected to install view-cutters, which would have allowed Metro passengers to observe the jail premises clearly while passing through the area.
Apart from smuggling contraband, the broken boundary walls have also led to incidents of theft, with passers-by stealing vegetables from the jail's own fields. In response to these security concerns, Jail SP Anup Kumar Kumre mentioned that plans are underway to relocate Nagpur Central Jail to a different location. However, efforts to erect a sturdy boundary wall to enhance security have been ongoing at his office.
Kumre stated, "We have identified vulnerable points on the Chunabhatti side, where similar incidents involving cricket balls filled with contraband have occurred in the past. We have strengthened security in these areas."
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