Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) has launched a high-level investigation after a Chinese drone was found in Bhopal’s Central Jail, sources said on Thursday.
The drone was found on Wednesday evening, triggering a security scare over the fact that the prison has around 69 terrorists lodged among other inmates and was also the place from where 8 SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India) terrorists escaped.
The discovery of the China-made drone in the jail premises has caused a major stir with the authorities probing who it belongs to and how it ended up here. The police have taken the matter very seriously, and now the ATS has also taken cognisance of the incident and will soon begin a thorough investigation.
Security stepped up
Jail Superintendent Rakesh Kumar Bhongre stated that while the prison’s security is always stringent, it has been further tightened following the drone incident. Additional police personnel have been deployed outside the jail. The incident becomes sensitive considering it has witnessed a jailbreak in the past involving terrorists.
Terrorists lodged in Bhopal Central Jail
The Bhopal Central Jail had 69 terrorists from banned outfits including 23 from SIMI, 21 from PFI (Popular Front of India) and 4 from ISIS.
Additional DCP, Gandhinagar, Malkit Singh confirmed that the police have seized the Chinese drone and are investigating how it reached the jail premises.
Speaking on the matter, state minister Narendra Shivaji Patel stated that the discovery of a suspicious drone near the jail is a cause for concern. Preliminary investigations reveal that the drone did not contain a camera or a memory card.
To prevent such incidents in the future, the state government plans to declare the area around the jail a no-flying zone.
