Kozhikode, Kerala:
In the backdrop of the controversy triggered by Facebook posts made by some accused in a political murder case lodged in a prison in Kozhikode, authorities today conducted a thorough search of the prison complex.
The search came two days after a base model cellphone sans battery and SIM car was recovered during repairs to a pipe linked to a septic tank in the district jail.
Officials said they carried out a thorough search of the jail premises. "As part of searching, we are also planning to open the septic tank," a top police official told PTI.
In a serious violation of prison rules, some of the accused in the Chandrasekharan murder case had made Facebook postings using their mobile phones.
The matter was exposed through a sting operation by a Malayalam TV channel,which also beamed photographs purportedly posted on Facebook by some of the key accused in the case after they were lodged in the prison as undertrials.
Chandrasekharan, who floated his own outfit RMP after quitting CPI(M), was hacked to death in May 2012 near his native village Onchiyam. Many of the accused in the case are local CPI(M) workers, apart from hired goons.
Meanwhile, the reported visit of CPI(M) MLA K K Lathika, to the jail, where her husband and an accused in the murder case, was lodged, soon after the Facebook episode surfaced, has fuelled another controversy.
A Malayalam TV channel had beamed the visit of Lathika along with three other people to the jail.
Chandrasekharan's widow K K Rema, has demanded an inquiry into the visit of the MLA.
Kerala home minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan had visited the jail immediately after the incident and also constituted a three-member team to probe the issue.
Later, the government had also shifted DGP (Prison) Alexander Jacob from the post and ADGP T P Sen Kumar was given additional charge of DGP (Prison).