VELLORE: The inmates of the special camp at Chengalpet in Kancheepuram district were shifted to the newly renovated sub-jail in Cheyyar in Tiruvannamalai district on Friday. Sources said the camp in Chengalpet was one of the two such camps in the State.
Foreigners arrested under the provisions of 3 (2) (e) of the Foreigners Act 1946 (Central Act 31 of 1946 ) for indulging in illegal activities were remanded in the special camps. After releasing 11 Sri Lankan Tamils from the camp in Chengalpet on late Thursday night, the police personnel attached to the Q branch shifted the remaining 27 foreigners to the new camp. Of them, three are Nigerians, four Bangladeshis and 20 Sri Lankans.
Citing administration reasons and poor state of the sub-jail in Chengalpet, which was converted and functioning as the special camp from the early 90s, the Prison Department had written to the Home Department of the State to shift the inmates to Cheyyar. After obtaining the permission from the Home Department, the special wing discreetly evacuated and shifted the inmates to Cheyyar from the camp in Chengalpet between 2 am and 4.30 am, amid tight security. The inmates and their relatives were planning to file a legal suit against shifting of the camp. They were also planning to launch an indefinite fast from Monday.
However, the shifting during the early hours left them in a state of shock, said a relative of one of the inmates. “We were kept in the dark until 2 am on Friday when the shifting was done. No one communicated to us about it,” said an inmate, adding, “The officials have also not issued the detention order after shifting us to the new camp.” Cheyyar Tahsildar J Sekar said necessary steps to issue the detaining orders were taken. Around 70 police personnel were deployed in the camp.