164 of 165 CCTVs faulty at Viyyur prison, admits superintendent in court

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a stunning disclosure, the superintendent of Viyyur high-security prison admitted that 164 of the facilitys 165 CCTV cameras are defunct, leaving the prison without meaningful surveillance for over a year. Rajesh Kumar R S made the revelation before the Ernakulam NIA special court on Thursday. Installed on February 28, 2019, the cameras stopped working after the five-year warranty expired. The assistant engineer of PWDs electronics division in Thrissur reported that both the network switch and cameras are damaged, rendering the entire system useless. The court was hearing a petition filed by NIA case undertrial Manoj P M, in which he alleged that he and fellow inmate Azharuddin were brutally assaulted by prison staff following an altercation with the warden on November 13. When the court sought CCTV footage, the superintendent submitted that since the cameras are malfunctioning he could not produce it. The medical records submitted before the court also purported to throw light on the systematic legal and human rights violations at the facility. According to the petition, around 15 jail officials dragged the two prisoners out of their cells after 6pm, in violation of prison regulations that prohibit removal after lock-up. They were allegedly beaten, denied medical treatment, and transferred before dawn the next day -- Manoj to Poojappura central prison and Azharuddin to Kannur central prison -- though a Thrissur district hospital doctor advised further treatment for Manoj. Manoj claims that he was further beaten up by Poojappura prison staff. He was reportedly admitted to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, after he began a hunger strike. The medical reports submitted to the court state that the patient sustained trauma to head and abdomen around 5pm on November 13. He had sustained severe injuries including subcutaneous hematoma to left premaxillary, left frontal and left periorbital region. He also alleged that while his plea to file a complaint was denied, a counter complaint was registered against him for allegedly assaulting prison staff. Unimpressed by the explanations of both the superintendents of Viyyur and Poojappura prisons after they failed to produce Manoj on a video call, the two-member NIA court on Thursday directed the superintendent of Viyyur prison to appear in person on November 24. The superintendents of central prison Poojappura shall produce the accused personally on the 24th, the order said.