Thiruvananthapuram: High-ranking police and jail officers are set to face punitive action over the recent marijuana haul in the Central Prison, Kannur.
Director General of Prisons Sudhesh Kumar has submitted a report to the Kerala State Home Department recommending departmental action against Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), North Zone, Sam Thankayyan, and to suspend Prison Superintendent R Sajan.
As reported earlier ganja was smuggled into the prison on September 16 allegedly by associates of prisoners in a pickup carrying vegetables for the jail kithen. It was also found that the ganja was brought in for Kozhikode native Ashraf who is serving imprisonment over a drug case.
The matter was not reported to the police or at the Prisons headquarters. As per law, any violation of the law that occurs in the jail premises must be reported to the local police and the jail headquarters on the same day.
The jail authorities intimated the police on the incident a week later when Malayala Manorama reported on the smuggling.
The DGP’s report states it was a severe lapse on the part of the jail superintendent that such a grave crime inside the jail was hushed up. Certain norms and proceedings are in place for letting a vehicle into the prison compound. There is a written direction from the DGP on the same. None of these was carried out.
The DIG failed in ensuring proper inspection and surveillance in the Central prison under him. The report also alleges that the DIG did not take it seriously when he came to know of the ganja-smuggling bid.
The DGP conducted an inquiry on the incident without involving the DIG. His report to the Home Department has also collated the police intelligence report.
Chief Minister’s political secretary P Sasi had called for a meeting of senior prison officers. The DIG and the Superintendent drew harsh criticism during the meeting.
Action would be initiated against the officers on receiving approval from the CM who is abroad.
Police app to inform on drug use
Information on crimes including drug abuse, smuggling, or sale can be passed on to the police through the official mobile app of Kerala Police - Pol App. The personal details of the informers will not be recorded on the app.
You can click on the links: ‘Services – More services – Report to us’ on the app, where you can find the link to pass on the information confidentially. On the page that opens after clicking this link, one can enter the details regarding the crime in a confidential manner.
