It also mentions that the software should have feature to auto detect and highlight (identify) any kind of contraband (weapons, electronics, drugs) for ease of operation. It should also be capable to give image of person’s shoes upto the sole at the same time allowing to see the hidden objects inside the shoes.

The scanners should also be able to ‘see’ contraband inside human body cavities by using transmission X-Ray technology with ultra-low dose.

During the course of the suo motu hearing in the Bishnoi interview case, the Punjab government had informed a bench of Justices Anupinder Singh Grewal and Kirti Singh in January that the state would need the permission of central government to install full body scanners in the jails.

The counsel for the central government had assured the high court that the Centre would give the permission at the earliest.

The issue of installing full body scanners in Punjab jails along with 5G mobile signal jammers has been pending before the Punjab government for past several years. It was in 2018 that the then Jails Minister, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa had announced plans to install the body scanners and mobile signal jammers in jails. However, nothing happened on ground.

In 2022 there were again reports that six jails had been chosen by the government to install full body scanners but this move too did not fructify. With the Punjab and Haryana High Court having taken notice of the interview of Bishnoi done whilst lodged in a jail, the proposal has received a fresh impetus.

The scanners are likely to be installed within a period of five months.

A senior government official said that the scanners will help improve the checks and balances put in place to prevent the smuggling of contraband into jails including mobile phones and SIM cards. “It is common knowledge that these are often smuggled into prisons after being hid in body cavities and they are able to evade detection,” said the official who did not want to be named.

A 2022 report by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative on the state of Punjab jails had also commented on the lack of body scanners.

The report notes that, in all the 24 jails visited, the team did not observe prison where body scanners were available.

“On the other hand, the prison officials, including medical officers unanimously across the jails stated that the jails were in urgent need of body scanners to tackle the issue of drug smuggling, as inmates would often smuggle drugs inside their body cavities,” the report stated.

The report had noted that with the Comprehensive Action Against Drug Abuse (CADA) 2018 stating that the proposal for purchase of security equipment had already been cleared by the Chief Minister and had been sent to the Department of Finance, Government of Punjab for allurement of funds, the reasons for non-availability of body scanners across all the 24 jails should be inquired into.

The availability of mobile phones, including smart phones with cameras, inside Punjab jails is also a well known fact and every few weeks the inmates are able to shoot videos of their activities and get them uploaded on the social media.

One such video showing inmates of Ludhiana Central Jail partying went viral on social media resulting in FIRs against 11 prisoners. This also led to the State Cyber Crime Branch writing to various social media platforms to get the video clip deleted from social media posts including those made by journalists who reported the incident.