Mobile phones, cash seized from prison cell of mastermind of American Centre attack in Kolkata

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Three mobile phones, Wi-Fi equipment and ₹31,000 in cash were seized from the cell of Aftab Ahmed Ansari, the mastermind of the 2002 American Centre attack in Kolkata serving jail term, officials said on Saturday (August 29, 2026).

The seizure at the Presidency Correctional Home prompted the jail authorities to lodge a complaint with the Hastings Police Station, which has registered a case and begun an investigation, they said.

Ansari, convicted in the American Centre attack case and serving a life term, is lodged in cell number 14 at the correctional home.

A search was conducted following intelligence inputs that Ansari was allegedly using a mobile phone inside the prison and had access to the internet, an official of the correctional home told PTI .

“Three mobile phones were found in his clothes and bedding, while two routers, a Wi-Fi device, a pen drive and an earphone were also seized,” he said.

Cash amounting to ₹31,000 in ₹500 notes was found in his cell, too, the official said.

Investigators are also trying to ascertain whether phone calls were made to Ansari’s contacts outside the country, he said.

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