HYDERABAD: The Prisons department has taken swift disciplinary action following allegations of inmates consuming prohibited substances and reports of misconduct by prison staff at Nizamabad District Central Jail. The controversy surfaced after undertrial prisoners were allegedly found using dry ganja inside the jail premises over the past few days.
Sources said the issue came to light when jail staff detected the use of dry ganja and allegedly assaulted a few inmates, raising serious concerns over prison management and discipline. Taking serious note, Director General of Prisons Soumya Mishra ordered an internal inquiry into the incident. Jailor Upender was suspended for allegedly assaulting convicted prisoners for smoking ganja, while another official, Sai Suresh, was transferred to Adilabad District Jail.
The DG also directed Chintala Dasharath, the supervisory officer of Nizamabad Central Jail, to submit a detailed report to the state government on the incident.
Inmates shifted
Meanwhile, acting on inputs that inmates were illegally trading ganja beedis and other prohibited items inside the jail, officials shifted seven prisoners allegedly involved in such activities to other prisons, including Sangareddy and Cherlapalli jails.
Clarifying reports of ganja being found inside the jail, Soumya Mishra said no contraband was recovered from within the prison premises. She stated that an unknown person allegedly threw the substance from outside the jail, which got stuck in a live electric wire on the compound wall. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway.
The DG said strict monitoring would continue and asserted that any corruption or illegal activity would be dealt with firmly. Further action will be taken based on the findings of the departmental inquiry and the police investigation.