An undertrial charged with attempt to murder uploaded a selfie on Facebook from his cell in Muzaffarnagar district jail on 7 March and came to the notice of jail authorities only a day after it was shared widely on social media.
The photo featured him along with fellow undertrials, Sachin Lambu and Mohit, along with the caption “khoon mein ubaal toh khandaani hai, duniya humare shonk ki nahi humare tevar ki diwani hai” (hot-bloodedness runs in the entire family, people are more fond of our attitude than our habits).
A smartphone was recovered from the undertrial, Vijay Choudhary’s barracks during a search, but it remains unclear if it was the same phone used to upload the photograph.
According to Hindustan Times, Choudhary had uploaded two more photos on 18 February which went completely unnoticed by the authorities. Now, a jail-level and a magisterial-level probe has been ordered following the incident. The administration has also installed a jammer on the premises.
Vijay Choudhary has been in jail since December last year in connection with a case of attempt to murder under sections 307 and 323 of the IPC. This is not the first time an inmate has been found using a smuggled phone. In March 2016, as many as 22 phones and other contraband were seized from prisoners in a surprise check. In may 2016, in a similar incident, a few inmates uploaded selfies on Facebook. Just last week, a lawyer was arrested for smuggling two phones – hidden in his shoes – into Muzzafarnagar jail.
(With inputs from Hindustan Times and The Times of India)
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