LUCKNOW: A group of about 26 jailed separatists were airlifted to Agra from Srinagar on Thursday, officials said. The group mainly comprises miscreants and stone pelters, who have a history of trouble-making. They are alleged to be active members of separatist groups in Kashmir Valley.
According to sources, the prisoners were brought to Agra in a special IAF plane. The prisoners were shifted as a temporary arrangement until the situation in J&K eases. Though there was no official confirmation either about the transportation or the identity of the prisoners, official sources said they were kept in separate enclosures far away from barracks of regular prisoners at the Agra Central Jail. The police vans in which the prisoners were brought to jail from Agra’s Kheria airbase was covered to keep the identity of the prisoner under wraps.
According to sources, traffic on the route from Kheria airbase to the jail was blocked for the movement of the convoy, comprising two ambulances and SWAT teams.
Sources said more prisoner from J&K will be relocated in high-security jails in other states till the situation normalizes in the Union Territory. The decision to shift the prisoners was taken after the Centre approached the J&K authorities with the offer as a precautionary measure.
Similar security arrangements were made in jails of other states to accommodate J&K prisoner, said the sources. Security at the Agra Central Jail has also been beefed up. Apart from enhancing the monitoring of the criminals lodged at the Agra jail, an extra company of provisional armed constabulary was deployed to guard the J&K prisoners.
The government has imposed strict restrictions in J&K after the constitutional provisions that accorded the state special status were abrogated and it was divided into two union territories.