A China-made drone was discovered inside the high-security Bhopal Central Jail on Wednesday, prompting authorities to initiate an investigation. The drone, which was found charged and weighing between 30 to 40 grams, was spotted by a prison guard near the B-block building between 3:30 and 4:00 pm.
Jail superintendent Rakesh Kumar Bangre stated that no one witnessed the drone’s arrival at the premises. Preliminary investigations suggest that the drone might have been operated by children playing near the prison area. However, given the jail’s high-security status, the discovery has raised concerns, especially considering the facility houses several high-profile prisoners, including individuals linked to the banned outfit SIMI.
The jail, which spans 151 acres, is currently overcrowded with 3,600 inmates, far exceeding its official capacity of 2,600. Among these are 69 prisoners held in the high-security zone, including 32 members of SIMI.
The drone has been handed over to the Gandhi Nagar police, who are now looking into the incident. The Bhopal Central Jail has previously made headlines in 2016 when eight SIMI-linked undertrials escaped after killing a guard. They were later killed by police after a gunfight on the outskirts of the city.
The investigation into this latest incident is ongoing, with authorities remaining vigilant about potential security threats posed by unmanned aerial devices in high-security zones.
