Presidency Jail officials suspended after mobile phones seized from inmates
Synopsis
West Bengal's new Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari suspended the top two officials of Kolkata's largest prison after mobile phones were seized from inmates — and has ordered the CID to trace the SIM card holders, signalling that the crackdown may reach well beyond the jail walls.
Key Takeaways
The West Bengal government suspended Superintendent N.
Kujur and Chief Controller Dipto Ghorai of the Presidency Central Correctional Home on 15 May 2025 .
A police team led by DG (Correctional Services) Natarajan Ramesh Babu and DC (South Division) V.S.R.
Ananthnag recovered multiple mobile phones from inmates.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the action at Nabanna , attributing the lapse to either negligence or complicity of previous authorities.
The CID has been directed to identify and trace persons in whose names the recovered SIM cards are registered.
Similar search operations are planned across all correctional homes in West Bengal .
The West Bengal government on Friday, 15 May suspended the Superintendent and Chief Controller of the Presidency Central Correctional Home in South Kolkata — the state's largest correctional facility — after a police-led search operation recovered multiple mobile phones from inmates. The action signals a sharp escalation in the state's crackdown on contraband communication devices inside correctional homes.
The Search Operation
The raid was conducted by a state police team led by Director General (Correctional Services) Natarajan Ramesh Babu and Deputy Commissioner (South Division) of Kolkata Police, V.S.R. Ananthnag. Several mobile phones were recovered and seized from inmates during the operation, prompting immediate departmental action against the facility's senior-most officials.
Officials Suspended
Announcing the suspensions at a press conference held at the state secretariat of Nabanna, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari named the two officials facing action: Superintendent N. Kujur and Chief Controller Dipto Ghorai. 'This could not have happened without the cooperation of the officers in charge of the correctional homes,' Adhikari said, adding that assisting a crime carries equal culpability to committing it.
What the Chief Minister Said
Adhikari, who is the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal, attributed the persistence of the problem to institutional failure, stating that the menace had continued 'either due to the callousness of the previous government or to the direct support of the previous rulers.' He warned that all officials — whether directly involved or complicit — would face punishment.
He also confirmed that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been directed to trace the individuals in whose names the SIM cards found in the recovered phones are registered, a move that could implicate networks outside the prison.
Statewide Crackdown Ahead
The Chief Minister announced that similar search operations will be extended to other correctional homes across West Bengal, with the stated aim of dismantling the use of mobile phones by criminal elements to continue illegal activities from behind bars. Officials attached to correctional facilities have been put on notice to perform their duties diligently or face consequences.
The use of mobile phones inside Indian prisons has been a persistent law-enforcement concern nationally, with multiple states having reported seizures in recent years. This is among the first such high-profile suspensions in West Bengal linked directly to a contraband phone recovery.
Point of View
But the harder question is systemic: how do phones repeatedly enter a maximum-security facility without detection? Blaming the previous government provides political cover but sidesteps the institutional audit that West Bengal's correctional system actually needs. The CID's SIM-card trail is the more consequential thread — if it leads to organised supply networks, the story becomes far larger than two suspended officers. Whether this crackdown sustains beyond the initial headlines will depend on whether structural reforms follow the punitive ones.
NationPress
11 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were Presidency Jail officials suspended in West Bengal?
The Superintendent and Chief Controller of the Presidency Central Correctional Home in Kolkata were suspended after a state police search operation recovered multiple mobile phones from inmates. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the breach could not have occurred without the cooperation of the officials in charge.
Who conducted the search operation at Presidency Correctional Home?
The search was carried out by a state police team led by Director General (Correctional Services) Natarajan Ramesh Babu and Deputy Commissioner (South Division) of Kolkata Police, V.S.R. Ananthnag.
What action has been taken after the mobile phones were seized?
Superintendent N. Kujur and Chief Controller Dipto Ghorai have been suspended. The Criminal Investigation Department has also been asked to trace the individuals in whose names the SIM cards found in the recovered phones are registered.
Will similar operations be conducted in other West Bengal prisons?
Yes. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that comparable search operations will be carried out across all correctional homes in the state to curb the use of mobile phones by inmates for criminal activities.
Who is Suvendu Adhikari?
Suvendu Adhikari is the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal. He made the suspension announcement at a press conference at the state secretariat of Nabanna on 15 May 2025.
