Prisoner posts 'Mafia Selfie' on Facebook from UP jail

A prisoner, lodged in Uttar Pradesh's Basti district jail, on charges of arms smuggling and attempt to murder, sent the officials into a tizzy after he posted a selfie clicked inside the jail with two dreaded convicts, on Facebook.

The prisoner, Vishal Upadhyaya, posted as many as five pictures clicked with murder convicts Arif and Rakesh, on Facebook, according to the jail officials in Basti, about 200 km from here.

Vishal captioned all the pictures "Maafiya". The matter came to light after the pictures appeared on the social networking site on Friday.

All the pictures were clicked inside the jail, which was clearly evident from the background, the officials said.

''It appears that the prisoner took the pictures with a cell phone that may have been given to him by someone, who had met him,'' said a senior jail official.

''We will get the matter thoroughly investigated and ensure stern action in case any laxity was found on the part of the jail guards,'' he said.

Many cases

Earlier, a criminal lodged in Faizabad district jail, had sent a video threatening a businessman with dire consequences if the latter failed to pay 'rangadari' (protection money) to him.

In the past there have been numerous instances, when cell phones, drugs and even arms have been recovered from inside the overcrowded jails in UP.