Doctor caught sneaking in mobiles, liquor & marijuana into Alipore jail

Kolkata: A doctor was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle mobile phones, narcotics, alcohol and razor blades into Kolkata's Alipore Central Correctional Home on Friday night.

Police said Dr Amitabha Chowdhury – a medical professional attached to the prison, who is a retired Army doctor – was caught red-handed late on Friday night. They recovered five packets of marijuana and 4/5 litres of alcohol besides 35 cell phones, chargers and Rs 1.46 lakh in cash, from his possession.

Ujjal Biswas, minister for Correctional Administration, said a high-level inquiry has been ordered and added: "Following the information that the inmates are keeping cell phones and drugs I have asked the guards in different correctional homes to intensify vigil. I have also told them that some insiders must be involved in the matter and my apprehension has come true."

The news of inmates of different correctional homes using cell phones and drugs is not new. Recently, the correctional home authorities in Burdwan found that cell phones were being smuggled inside the jail inside religious books. Recently in Alipore Correctional Home, it was found that the inmates were using cell phones and even electric heaters and following the incident the involvement of a section of the employees has been suspected. The bags of wardens and other employees are checked when they join duties and while leaving after work as well. But the doctors of the correctional homes do not undergo such checks. Some senior officials of correctional home administration had suggested that the bags of doctors attending the hospital should also be checked.

For quite some time, the behaviour of Dr Chowdhury and his closeness with some of the inmates had raised suspicion.

It was decided that his bags and belongings will be checked on Friday. Accordingly, the super of Alipore Correctional administration along with the deputy super and other officials waited inside while another team under DIG (correctional home) in plainclothes waited outside the correctional home campus.

Dr Chowdhury arrived at the correctional home around 10 pm on Friday. When he was entering the hospital ward, Superintendent of Alipore Correctional Home went to him to check his bag. He was carrying two suitcases. He refused to show them and threatened to quit the hospital. He argued with the senior jail officials that under no circumstances he would allow them to check his bags as those of the doctors are never checked. But when the jail authorities insisted, he decided not to join duties and refused to go back home.

When he was leaving the correctional premises, the team under DIG stopped him and tried to check the bag. A heated exchange followed but the bodyguards of DIG took the bags from him and opened them. There were 35 cell phones, 4/5 litres of alcohol and 5 packets of ganja. When the guards conducted Dr Chowdhury's body search they found Rs 1.45 lakh being kept in a hidden pocket of his trousers.

Dr Chowdhury gets a monthly pension of Rs 50,000 from the Army and another Rs 90,000 from the Correctional Administration as contractual remuneration. He confessed during the investigation that he used to get Rs 60,000 per month from the dreaded criminals for smuggling money and other items inside the correctional home. He told the police that Rs 1.45 lakh was meant for some dreaded criminals who run an extortion racket from inside the jail premises.