MANGALURU: The Mangaluru Bar Association has set September 14 as the deadline for authorities to resolve mobile connectivity problems allegedly caused by a signal jammer installed at the Mangaluru District Prison. Failing this, lawyers have threatened to stage a protest during the Karnataka Cabinet meeting in Mangaluru on September 18.
Bar Association president Jagadish K. Shenava said the jammer, operational for nearly two years, has disrupted mobile services around the prison, affecting the district court, educational institutions, hotels and commercial establishments. The association says poor connectivity is hampering communication between lawyers, litigants and court staff.
The issue has previously reached the Karnataka High Court. A technical assessment by the Ministry of Communications found that the jammer's signal was extending beyond the prison premises, with interference detected up to 2.5 km away. The court subsequently directed that the jammer's technical parameters be reassessed and optimised to confine its effect to the prison.
The demand has gained renewed significance after police recently recovered 10 mobile phones from prisoners during a raid, raising questions about the effectiveness of the jammer while surrounding areas continue to experience connectivity problems.
The Bar Association has already represented the matter to the authorities and said assurances of corrective action have not produced a permanent solution. Shenava said the association would hold a protest on September 18 if the issue is not resolved by September 14.
The matter had also been raised in the Karnataka legislature last month by Mangaluru City South MLA Vedavyas Kamath, who said earlier measures had failed to restore reliable connectivity to affected businesses and institutions.