Kochi: A report submitted by the superintendent of Viyyur High-Security Prison to the Special Court for NIA cases has exposed a stunning security lapse inside one of the state’s most fortified correctional facilities, revealing that only one of its 165 CCTV cameras is currently functional.

The disclosure emerged during proceedings on a petition filed by the counsel of Manoj PM alias Ashiq, an undertrial in an NIA case, who alleged that he and another accused were allegedly assaulted by prison personnel inside the facility.

The faulty CCTV cameras have raised serious concerns, especially because Viyyur High-Security Prison forms part of the Viyyur Central Jail complex, to which Govindachamy, the life convict in the 2011 Soumya rape and murder case, was transferred in July 2025 after he escaped from the high-security Kannur Central Jail and was later recaptured. The revelation has intensified questions about security readiness in a facility that houses high-risk prisoners.

According to Manoj’s petition, he and another accused, Azharuddin, a native of Tamil Nadu, were beaten while lodged in Viyyur, and matters escalated after Manoj was abruptly transferred to Poojappura Central Prison, which he claims was done unlawfully and without any valid reason. He subsequently began a hunger strike in protest, which later led to his hospitalisation.

The court had earlier directed the superintendent to produce the accused in person on Thursday, along with CCTV footage related to the alleged assault. Still, the accused was not produced, and no footage was submitted. The superintendent informed the court that, except for one, all other CCTV cameras installed in the jail were not working, leaving the court without the visual evidence it had sought.

Judge PK Mohandas, presiding over the court, criticised the prison authorities after finding contradictions between the reports submitted by the superintendent and the assistant engineer of the Kerala Public Works Department, who inspected the camera network.

The judge said the superintendent’s explanations for failing to present the accused and for transferring him out of Viyyur were “not satisfactory” and ordered the superintendent to personally appear before the court on November 24 at 11 am. The PWD assistant engineer has also been asked to appear via Google Meet to explain the collapse of the surveillance system.

After being moved to Poojappura, Manoj began a hunger strike protesting the alleged torture and what he described as an unjustified transfer. His health soon deteriorated, following which prison authorities shifted him to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital.

Medical records submitted in court show that he suffered severe injuries, but the jail authorities failed to provide documents confirming his admission on Thursday, prompting further criticism from the judge, who questioned the transparency with which the incident was handled.

The court has asked the District Legal Services Authority to depute a panel lawyer to meet Manoj at the hospital or jail, verify his medical condition, record and photograph any injuries and attempt to persuade him to end the strike, warning that continuing the fast may endanger his life. Manoj has been directed to cooperate with the authorities and discontinue the fast.

The court has directed the superintendent of Poojappura Central Prison to produce Manoj physically on November 24 and to provide all medical documents, transfer records and relevant reports to both the accused’s counsel and the NIA’s Public Prosecutor as the case comes up again for review.