Central help likely to track phone calls from Kerala jails

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday assured the Kerala assembly that, if need arises, the help of central agencies would be sought to unravel the details of phone calls made from state jails in the recent past.

"An inquiry by the Kerala Police found that in the past one year 3,500 calls, including international, were made from 28 mobile phones that were seized from prisoners in Kerala jails three weeks back," Chandy said.  

"In an earlier raid, 92 mobile phones were seized," he added.

The chief minister said this in response to leave sought for an adjournment motion moved by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) legislator Raju Abraham.

"The detailed police report has alarming details of how prisoners have made calls from jails to even satellite phones. The calls are believed to be made to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia and other countries," Abraham said.

"Some of the calls are even believed to be made to jails in other countries," he added.

Chandy said: "The need of the hour is cooperation from all quarters so we can act strongly."

He assured the house that the state police's cyber cell is currently checking all phone calls made from the jails.

"Once we get the full report of these calls, we will seek the help of central agencies," the chief minister assured.