MANGALURU: The central and state governments have acknowledged before the High Court of Karnataka that persistent mobile network disruptions in parts of the city are linked to the mobile jammer installed at the district prison in Kodialbail. The court has now directed both governments to file a detailed report on the remedial measures undertaken by December 1.
Governments admit jammer is disrupting networks
The issue was brought before the court by the Mangaluru Bar Association, which highlighted how connectivity problems near the Kodialbail prison were affecting essential services and daily functioning across the area. Acting upon earlier directions, telecom company officials inspected the Mangaluru jail and surrounding neighbourhoods, documented the extent of disruptions, and submitted an assessment report.
During Friday’s hearing, counsels representing both the central and state governments confirmed that the jammer was responsible for the signal interference reported across a substantial radius.
The Union Department of Telecommunications (DoT) informed the court that it has formally written to the state prison department, advising corrective action and sharing technical details on the jammer’s impact. The state prison department has also written back to the DoT, seeking further steps to address the issue.
Bar Association highlights severe disruptions
Advocate P. P. Hegde, appearing for the Mangaluru Bar Association, argued that despite the jammer’s presence inside the prison, mobile networks function smoothly within the jail premises. However, in the 900-metre radius surrounding the facility—an area housing courts, banks, educational institutions and government offices—signal disruptions have significantly worsened.
He submitted that the jammer’s interference defeats its intended purpose while affecting thousands of residents and professionals, and urged the court to consider removal of the device.
High Court demands clear remediation plan
After hearing all parties, the court instructed both the central and state governments to present, by December 1, the official measures being implemented to mitigate network disruptions caused by the prison jammer. The matter will be taken up again after submission of the compliance reports.
What lies ahead
The court’s directive has put the spotlight on balancing prison security requirements with citizens’ access to uninterrupted mobile connectivity. While the jammer aims to prevent unauthorised communication from within the jail, the large-scale signal impact on surrounding areas has raised concerns across the legal fraternity, businesses and educational institutions.
A clear resolution plan from both governments is now awaited, as residents hope for normal network service without compromising prison security protocols.