Is There Luxury Treatment for ISIS Terrorists in Jail?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- NIA's investigation into prison security is crucial for national safety.
- Mobile phone usage by prisoners raises alarm about monitoring.
- Prison staff under scrutiny for possible complicity.
- Government response highlights the seriousness of the issue.
- Potential links to broader terrorist activities must be explored.
Bengaluru, Dec 4 (NationPress) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted a visit to Bengaluru Central Prison to probe the situation of a suspected ISIS terrorist allegedly utilizing a mobile phone within the prison premises, as confirmed by sources on Thursday.
A disturbing video that surfaced from Parappana Agrahara Central Jail went viral in November, depicting a prisoner, identified as an ISIS terrorist and rapist, engaging with a mobile phone and watching television.
Suspected terrorist Zuhab Hameed Shakeel Manna, incarcerated for funding ISIS, was recorded using a smartphone while indulging in five-star amenities inside Bengaluru’s Central Jail.
NIA agents are interrogating Manna regarding his network and contacts. They are also scrutinizing the jail staff for possibly facilitating a suspected terrorist linked to an international terror organization like ISIS.
This marks the second visit by NIA officials to the Bengaluru Central Jail, with further details anticipated regarding this evolving situation.
Manna was apprehended in Dubai in 2020 and extradited to India in 2023, facing accusations of radicalizing youth to join the ISIS faction in Syria.
In a recently surfaced video, he is seen effortlessly using a mobile phone and discussing passwords, stating, "If the password is available, we will get caught."
This video, among others featuring various criminals, including serial rapist and murderer Umesh Reddy, has ignited significant concerns about the effectiveness of security and supervision within state prisons.
In light of these developments, State Home Minister G. Parameshwara stated that the government is taking this matter seriously, leading to a convened meeting involving senior prison officials and Superintendents from major prisons in Belagavi, Shivamogga, and Ballari.
"We have received information about several issues," Parameshwara commented.
"I am contemplating necessary actions to avert such oversights. In prior instances, officials have faced suspension, and FIRs have been lodged, yet it appears insufficient. If such incidents transpire within prisons, can they be rightfully termed as jails? Officers are granted the legal framework to administer prisons—if they fail, is it not a lapse?" he questioned.
Parameshwara also noted that the NIA has made observations regarding these incidents, which will be discussed in the upcoming meeting.
The Karnataka BJP unit has organized a protest denouncing the emergence of videos featuring radical individuals, ISIS operatives, and criminals within Bengaluru Central Prison.
Leader of the Opposition and senior BJP figure R. Ashoka remarked that a suspected ISIS terrorist using a mobile phone in the Bengaluru jail could potentially be connected to the Delhi blasts, suggesting a deeper investigation might unveil more insights.