Advocates associated with the Mangaluru Bar Association will stage a protest in front of the Praja Soudha at Padil during the Cabinet meeting on Friday, demanding that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar direct the Mangaluru district prison authorities to remove the phone jammer at the jail, president of the association Jagadeesh K. Shenava said here on Wednesday.

The Cabinet meeting at the soudha (housing the government offices including the office of the Deputy Commissioner) is scheduled at 10 a.m.

Addressing presspersons, Mr. Shenava said that 250 advocates will gather at the office of the association at 9 a.m. and later will proceed to the soudha.

Ever since the jammer was installed at the prison two-and-a-half years ago, residents in the surrounding areas of the prison and advocates in the court complex have been facing network issues. Though people had staged protests urging the government to remove the jammer, it was not done so.

“Many clients are unable to contact their advocates in the court complex or in the office of the association owing to the jammer,” he said.

The president said that advocates are also not able to make payments via UPI on the court complex premises, owing to the jammer.

Referring to 10 mobile phones of inmates seized by the police recently, Mr. Shenava wondered how the inmates are able to use the phones inside the prison while the jammer is in place. “Some advocates dealing with criminal cases are getting calls from their clients (jail inmates) inside the prison regarding bail applications,” Mr. Shenava said.

But people outside the jail and nearby areas are unable to use their mobile phones owing to network issues, he said.

The president alleged that there is a breach of security in the prison. “How could 10 mobile phones get inside the prison otherwise,” he asked.

Mr. Shenava said that the priority should be on proper security arrangements in the jail using modern technology to prevent taking mobile phones inside. If this is done properly, there is no need for the jammer.

The president said that the advocates are hopeful that the Chief Minister will provide justice this time. “We want result and not credit (for removing the jammer),” he said.