TN Govt dismisses Prison Warder in corruption case

Chennai, Aug 5 (UNI) On the heels of the Tamil Nadu Police busting a terror module that planned to trigger bomb blasts in the state, the government has dismissed a Grade II Warder of the Puzhal Central Prison in connection with a corruption case and transferred 20 others, including a deputy jailor, for indulging in illegal activities.

The warder Solomon (30), who was arrested by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption for taking bribe from a relative of a Sri Lankan national lodged in the prison for extending some facilities, was dismissed from service yesterday.

The Sri Lankan national was lodged in the prison in connection with a fake passport case.

Soon after his arrest at the Koyambedu area in the city on August 2 when the DVAC officials laid a trap and caught him red-handed while collecting money from the Lankan Nationals relative, he was placed under suspension on the next day, before it culminated in termination of service.

Meanwhile, 20 other prison staff were transferred to other jails after they came under adverse remarks of the authorities.

This followed reports in a section of the media about the illegal activities taking place inside the prison, including supply of cellsphones and sim cards to the inmates.

Those transferred were a deputy jailor, four first grade constables and 15 second grade constables. They were transferred following complaints that they were helping the inmates to smuggle ganja and cellphones and other banned items into the prison.

The illegal activities on the prison premises came to light after the state police busted the terror module, whose mastermind, Ali Abdullah, a fundamentalist leader, was operating from the prison.

Another inmate of the prison, Raja Hussain, also a fundamentalist, was also found to be involved in the terror plot to trigger blasts in Chennai and Tirunelveli on the Indpendence day.

When police had raided his cell, Abdullah chewed two mobile sim cards and spat it outside.

Acting tough, police raided various cells and seized a number of cellphones and sim cards from the inmates, leading to the transfer of 20 prison staff.

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