Gurdaspur Jail inmates retaliate over repeated raids carried out by jail staff

The inmates were upset over the repeated raids. As just fifteen days ago 15 handsets, hidden under the bathroom tiles were found.
Image used for representational purpose
Image used for representational purpose

CHANDIGARH: A riot was averted in Central Jail at Gurdaspur after some inmates threatened to set ablaze the jammers and a watch tower installed in the prison premises as they were upset over the early morning search carried out by the jail staff.

Sources said that the Gurdaspur  jail superintendent Karamjit Singh Sandhu had send a SOS today early morning to the district police and Senior Superintendent of Gurdaspur Harcharan Singh Bhullar asking for reinforcements after an early morning search by his staff lead by him agitated the prisoners. 

As the prison officials met with resistance from prisoners of barrack 8 by then the inmates started raising slogans after they came to know that the jail staff would conduct a search. Some prisoners gathered on the top floor of the barrack and threatened to burn jammers and watch towers. A prisoner started a minor fire which led to rumours and all-round confusion. Three mobile handsets were found from this barrack.

The other prisoners also got agitated and came out from their respective barracks as they were instigated to come out and start a riot. The situation threatened to go out of hand forcing Sandhu to call up the SSP. Soon the situation was brought under control by the police and jail staff.

The inmates were upset over the repeated raids. As just fifteen days ago 15 handsets, hidden under the bathroom tiles, were found which lead to the suspension of jail superintendent Randhir Singh Uppal and his deputy Arvinder Singh Bhatti.

The search was carried out on the orders of Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa after he had received a tip-off  in which it was claimed that mobile phones were being used in jail. This was the third such search ordered by the newly appointed minister in the fortnight.

Additional DGP (Prisons), Punjab,  Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota has asked DIG (Priosns) Surinderpal Singh Saini to inspect the jail and submit a report to him.

While the Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has also initiated an inqury into the sequence of events leading to the unrest.

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