Cuttack, Sept. 3: Convicts and undertrial prisoners at Choudwar jail are enjoying a lavish lifestyle and operating a crime syndicate from inside the prison - a raid revealed today.

Apart from several narcotic substances, two LCD television sets and a music system were also recovered from various cells during the raid, conducted by a special team led by deputy commissioner of police Sanjeev Arora.

"Acting on specific tip-offs, we conducted the raid on Choudwar jail and recovered many objectionable items from inside the prison," said Arora.

One television set was recovered from block No. 5 where Sk Saheed alias Rahul, an associate of gangster Tito, is lodged and another one was recovered from ward No. 3 where an undertrial prisoner, Prashant Nayak, has been kept. Besides, two sharp weapons, five pen drives, one card reader, 250gm of ganja, 75 packets of cigarette, 550 packs of gutkha, 409 bundles of bidi, 957 packs of khaini, 250 lighters and Rs 3,000 in cash were also recovered.

This year, it was the second major raid conducted on Choudwar jail. In January, one mobile phone, SIM cards and other items had been seized from here.

The raid has once again brought to the fore security lapses at the jail where many criminals as well as the controversial self-styled spiritual leader, Santosh Raula alias Sarathi, and his son Satyam Sekhar are lodged. Earlier, it was alleged that Raula and his son were provided with royal facilities inside the jail.

Though 54 closed-circuit television cameras have been installed at different cells and other places, not a single one is functioning. "There is absolutely no security inside the jail as mobile jammers are not working on the premises," said Arora.

Official sources said the raid was conducted as part of the ongoing investigation into the bombing incident at the residence of Odisha Cricket Association secretary Ashirbad Behera on August 28.

Though Bidanasi police had arrested five criminals in connection with the incident on August 31, the cops got vital lead that the entire planning had been done at the behest of a few goons lodged in Choudwar jail.

Earlier, Behera received an extortion threat and the cops got clues that a call had been made from some criminals inside the jail.

A senior police official said a special team had been sent outside the state to nab a few other criminals involved in the bombing incident.

In July 2013, Rahul had been convicted in the murder of Keshab Behera, the former secretary of the Seikh Bazar Puja Committee.

In March last year, four pocket diaries, chits of paper containing mobile phone numbers, gold chain weighing 158 grams, Rs 12,500 in cash and 31 packets of energy drink had been recovered from the jail.