Jail DIG, superintendent suspended

Thiruvananthapuram: The state govt suspended DIG (prisons-central zone) P Ajayakumar and superintendent (district jail Ernakulam) Raju Abraham, pending a departmental inquiry for illegally permitting visitors to meet businessman Boby Chemmanur when he was imprisoned on Jan 10.The suspension was initiated based on the report of the director general (prisons and correctional services) Balram Kumar Upadhyay. He submitted a detailed report to the govt concerning special privileges extended to businessman Boby during his incarceration. He was arrested and housed in the district jail in Kakkanad for making inappropriate remarks against a prominent female actor.An investigation by the DIG (prisons headquarters) uncovered serious irregularities involving DIG P Ajayakumar, who oversees the central zone along with five others. This group, which included two women and three men, allegedly gained unauthorized access to the prison to meet Boby.Worryingly, there was no record of their visit in the prison's entry register, raising concerns about security and protocol adherence within the facility. Additionally, the group reportedly facilitated an unlawful transaction by remitting Rs 200 in cash on behalf of Boby, backdating the payment to expedite the issuance of a telephone card. If processed through the standard jail system, Boby would have waited until Monday to receive the card, highlighting the preferential treatment he received. These findings figured in the prison chief's report.