HYDERABAD, Nov 9: The Hyderabad jail administration, backed by more than 200 policemen and personnel of the Rangers and Frontier Constabulary conducted thorough search of the jail premises in the early hours of Saturday.

A number of activists from banned organisation facing high-profile cases are lodged in the jail.

All the barracks were thoroughly checked but no prisoner was shifted anywhere else, Dawn learnt.

Jail superintendent Yunus Masih described the search as a ‘routine exercise’ as part of vigilant security during the month of Muharram. According to him, no banned item was found in possession of prisoners during the search.

A few months ago, the prison was provided around 200 additional policemen by the district administration for security duties following intelligence reports suggesting that jail-break attempts could be made here on the pattern of the Bannu and D.I. Khan jails.

“We have established a mini police line at the jail following those intelligence reports,” said Hyderabad SSP Fida Hussain Mastoi. “We gave the jail administration 202 policemen for permanent security duty. But they did not seek any assistance for conducting Saturday’s searches.”