Mangalore Bar Council has issued a final warning that the mobile‑jammer installed at the Central Prison must be rectified by 14 September, or lawyers will stage a demonstration before the cabinet meeting on 18 September.
For the past two years the anti‑signal device, meant to curb illegal phone use inside the jail, has spilled over into the surrounding neighbourhood. Litigants, attorneys, court staff and members of the public repeatedly report loss of mobile connectivity within the courthouse precinct, hampering emergency calls, information exchange and routine judicial work.
Nearby schools, colleges and hostels face the same outage, affecting students, teachers and administrative personnel. Hotels, guest houses and a range of commercial establishments also claim that the jammer interferes with their customer service and daily transactions.
While prison security is undeniably crucial, the association argues that a technically sound solution should confine the jamming field strictly to the prison boundary, leaving the city’s communication network untouched. A recent police sweep inside the facility uncovered roughly ten mobile phones, underscoring the need for stronger internal controls rather than broad external interference.
Earlier this month the lawyers met the district minister of state, who pledged to raise the matter with the Home Minister. Despite that assurance, a permanent remedy has not materialised.
President Jagadish K. Shenava, speaking on behalf of the Mangalore Lawyers’ Association, said the continued disruption is “incompatible with the city’s development agenda” and urged the government to act swiftly. He added that if the issue remains unresolved by the 14 September deadline, a coordinated protest will take place on 18 September, coinciding with the cabinet‑level meeting scheduled in Mangalore.
The association stresses that safeguarding prison security, ensuring smooth judicial operations and preserving citizens' right to communication must be balanced, and calls on authorities to implement a scientifically sound, limited‑range jamming system without further harming the city’s public life.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Vartha Bharati DK