M A I N   N E W S

Uneasy calm in Jalandhar jail
Dharmendra Joshi
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 8
A day after violent protests by prisoners, situation in the overcrowded Central Jail here remained tense but under control today.

Barring an isolated incident of protest by some prisoners for a few minutes in the morning when they came to know that a general FIR had been registered against them for yesterday’s violent protests, no untoward incident was reported in the jail on Tuesday.

The jail authorities were busy in assessing the loss due to fire in which a workshop, a shed, library, record room and hospital were damaged, said AIG (Prisons) Jagjit Singh, looking after the jail temporarily after the suspension of acting Superintendent Satpal Singh.

There were unconfirmed reports that some record was also reportedly burnt in the fire.

Jagjit Singh said the situation in the jail was returning to normal as the prisoners took their usual meals in the morning. Further as per routine, around 100 under trials prisoners were taken to different city courts for attending hearings in their respective criminal cases.

Meanwhile several relatives of prisoners came to the jail today to meet them after learning about yesterday’s violence. Most of them were allowed to meet their relatives lodged in the jail, the AIG jail added.

G.S. Sidhu, principal, jail training school in Patiala, has been appointed new Superintendent of the Jalandhar jail, said Jagjit Singh, adding he was likely to take over his new charge within a day or two.

While a general FIR was registered in connection with rioting in the jail, the accused would be named after the report of the magisterial inquiry being conducted by ADC S.P.S Marar, the AIG jails added.

To a query, he said it was unlikely at least in near future that some prisoners would be shifted to some other jail from the overcrowded Central Jail in Jalandhar.

Jails minister Hira Singh Gabria visited the jail to take stock of the situation.