Cherlapally Central Prison authorities have recovered three cell phones from prisoners, including two from Yadagiri Rao, accused in the cash-for-bail scam involving former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, a top official said today.
Three cell phones, five SIM cards and as many pen drives, besides Rs 2,000 cash were seized from prisoners at the Cherlapally Central Prison during a surprise check conducted in the night of August 23, Director General (Telangana- Prisons) V K Singh told reporters here today.
"Two cell phones were seized from Yadagiri Rao, an undertrial, while one more cell phone was recovered from one Muni Shekhar Reddy, a convict. The SIM cards and pen-drives were recovered from other prisoners," Singh said adding further investigations were underway to determine to whom the accused used to call.
Reacting to a query over the pictures of Yadagiri speaking over phone in the prison, which appeared in a section of electronic media, IG (Prisons) M Chandrasekhar said, "We are inquiring into that matter. Probe is underway on how and who took the photos and later circulated to media."
One SIM card was also recovered from the barrack of Mohammed Pahelwan, he said adding that there were other prisoners in that barrack also. The pen drives contained music and movies.
Yadagiri Rao was arrested in July 2012 in connection with the cash-for-bail case involving suspended CBI judge Pattabhirama Rao.
Yadagiri, one of the middlemen, had allegedly facilitated broking a deal worth Rs 10 crore for granting bail to Janardhan Reddy in Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) case.
Mohammed Pahelwan alias Mohammed Bin Omar Yafai is the prime suspect in the attack on MIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi in April 2011.
On the recovery of cell phone, Singh said, "We have started special efforts to sanitise our jails. Surprise raids by special teams on Chanchalguda and Cherllpalli jails were part of that efforts."
"Such raids will continue in future," he said.
