On Thursday, January 9, officials said that a Chinese-made drone had been found inside the high-security Bhopal Central Jail, causing concerns about safety and triggering an investigation.

According to jail superintendent Rakesh Kumar Bangre, a prison guard saw the black drone, which weighed 30 to 40 grams and was fully charged, on Wednesday afternoon close to the B-block building. Initial investigations indicate that the drone may have belonged to children playing close to the jail premises, while its origin is still unknown. 

Bangre mentioned that no one saw the drone landing inside the jail. The unmanned device has been given to the Gandhi Nagar police for further investigation. Over 151 acres, the Bhopal Central Jail is home to 3,600 prisoners, more than it can hold. Constrained in a high-security area, the inmates include 69 members of high-risk organisations, including 32 connected to the outlawed Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). "We have handed over the drone to the Gandhi Nagar police. They have launched an investigation into the recovery of the China-made drone which was charged," he said.

This incident raises further questions regarding the security of the jail. A significant breach occurred at the facility in 2016 when eight SIMI undertrials killed a prison guard and fled, only to be neutralised by authorities.