Faridkot, April 23
A day after violence broke out in the Faridkot Central Jail, leaving seven jail personnel injured, the Faridkot police today booked 13 inmates in the case. They have been booked on the charges of attempt to murder, criminal assault to deter public servants from discharging their duties and causing damage to government property. The case was registered after receiving a complaint from Jail Superintendent JP Singh.

The police conducted a search operation under the supervision of an SP-rank officer and jail staff. The officials searched all barracks in the jail and seized many banned drugs and used needles.

It is believed that the drug addicts had already destroyed a large quantity of drugs and needles following yesterday’s incident in which an unruly group of prisoners resorted to stone throwing in protest against the death of an undertrial in the morning.

Besides a Sub-Divisional Magistrate, the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Faridkot, is also conducting a probe into the incident.

Rampant use of drugs and intoxicants came to light after some senior doctors and inquiry officers visited the jail. Some inmates said they had easy access to drugs, but at an exorbitant price.

Visiting doctors said there might be high prevalence of diseases like Hepatitis-C and HIV among the jail inmates as the use of a single syringe to induce drugs was common among them. Doctors felt the sudden rise in number of deaths in the jail might be due to the use of adulterated drugs.

All three jail inmates who died in the last week were in highly critical condition when they were taken to the Civil Hospital, Faridkot, thus hinting at the use of some lethal drugs, a doctor said.

The thighs and lower limbs of one of the deceased were highly punctured due to incessant intra-muscular use of syringe to induce drugs, said the doctors.