Mughal-era Bassi Pathana jail to be reopened

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 4

The state Prisons Department has decided to reopen a historic jail in Bassi Pathana where Guru Tegh Bahadur was imprisoned for about four months when the jail was just a barrack.

The department has also decided to construct a new jail in Mohali, while it has shut down two jails in Dasuya and Phagwara. These two have been shut down due to lack of space for inmates.

The historic jail in Bassi Pathana is being reopened to cater to prisoners of Fatehgarh Sahib district, while a new one in Mohali will come up to cater to undertrials or prisoners of the Mohali region.

The historic jail in Bassi Pathana was constructed during the late Mughal era. Guru Tegh Bahadur was kept there for about four months by the Mughal army.

The government has been discussing constructing a memorial in the Bassi Pathana jail in name of the ninth Sikh Guru.

Capt Amarinder Singh had announced in August 2017 the construction of a memorial after a delegation of the Shirmoni Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee met him with the demand. However, the work on the memorial was yet to start. The issue cropped during the recently concluded elections also.

Randhawa said the promised memorial would also be constructed and elaborate plan was being made for that.

The ADGP, Prisons, Rohit Chowdhry, said the need for reopening the jail was felt as presently Patiala Central Jail was being used to house inmates from Fatehgarh Sahib and Mohali districts causing crowding of the jail. “Moreover, the transportation of undertrials to Fatehgarh Sahib and Mohali courts is also a big problem.”

“The Bassi Pathana jail is in a dilapidated condition and needs urgent renovation and reconstruction. Ït may house 200 inmates,” said minister Randhawa.