NDTV NEWS | KOLKATA
Mobile Phone, Routers and Cash Recovered From Aftab Ansari’s Cell at Presidency Jail
KOLKATA | AUGUST 29, 2026
NEWS DESK: A major security concern has emerged at Kolkata’s Presidency Jail after several electronic devices and ₹31,000 in cash were reportedly recovered from the cell of jailed terrorist Aftab Ansari during a search operation on Friday night.
According to jail sources, the recovery included an iPhone, two Jio routers, three Jio SIM cards, three OTG pen drives, a 128GB pen drive and a headphone. The discovery has raised questions over how prohibited communication devices and cash reached the cell of a high-security prisoner.
The jail authorities have lodged an FIR against Ansari at Hastings Police Station, and an investigation is now underway. Investigators are examining whether the devices were being used to communicate with people outside the prison, how long they had been in his possession and whether any information stored on the devices could provide clues.
Ansari is serving a life sentence at Presidency Jail. He was convicted in connection with the 2002 attack on the American Center in Kolkata. A sessions court had initially awarded him the death penalty, which was later upheld by the Calcutta High Court. In 2014, the Supreme Court commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment.
Sources said the search followed a tip-off that Ansari, lodged in a high-security cell, was allegedly using electronic devices. The subsequent raid led to the recovery of the items.
The investigation is also focusing on the possibility of outside assistance. Officials are examining whether any lapse in prison security or involvement of individuals inside the facility enabled the prohibited items to reach the cell.
The multiple SIM cards and routers have drawn particular attention, with investigators checking whether they were active and whether they were used for sustained communication. The possibility of any criminal or unauthorised contact is also being examined, though no conclusion has been reached at this stage.
The ₹31,000 cash recovered from the cell is being investigated separately, including its source and whether it was intended for any unauthorised transactions inside the prison.
The incident has once again brought the issue of prison security and illegal mobile-phone use into focus. The investigation will now seek to establish how the devices entered the high-security zone, who may have facilitated their access and how they were allegedly used.
