Two mobile phones have been recovered from the possession of two inmates lodged in Presidency Correctional Home, both of whom are accused in the Manish Shukla murder case. The recovery was made during a late-night search inside the prison following information that extortion calls were allegedly being made to businessmen from within the correctional facility. Police have launched an investigation into how the inmates obtained the mobile phones and whether any prison staff were involved in facilitating their possession.
According to prison and police sources, detectives of the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate were investigating complaints from businessmen who had allegedly received threatening calls demanding ransom. During the investigation, police found that the callers were frequently changing SIM cards and traced the calls to Presidency Correctional Home. Acting on this information, prison authorities identified the two inmates, Subodh Roy and Anish Thakur, also known as Anil and Vivek Mandal. Officials then conducted a search of their cells, where the mobile phones were recovered.
Police said Subodh Roy has two criminal cases registered against him at Titagarh and Mohanpur police stations, while Anish Thakur has five cases registered at Titagarh, Mohanpur, and Rahra police stations. The two smartphones were allegedly recovered from among their clothes and other personal belongings inside the cell. The Prison Department has lodged a complaint with Hastings Police Station, and investigators are examining how the devices entered the correctional facility and whether any prison personnel played a role in the incident.