Gangsters to be lodged in new Jagraon prison

Gangsters and notorious criminals in Punjab would soon have a new address — a new jail near Jagraon is under construction. Following inputs from the state intelligence and the Jail Department, the Punjab Government has initiated this move aimed “to dismantle criminal networks operating” from within the prison system.

Punjab Jails Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar on Monday said that gangsters and notorious criminals with a history of organised crime would be “housed in a high-security jail currently near Jagraon”, which is under construction. “It will be complete soon and all formalities will be taken care of,” he stated.

Punjab jails have been in the news for the wrong reasons with inmates having easy access to mobile phones and drugs. Recoveries by the state police and cases solved by them shows how organised syndicates of notorious gangsters continue to operate from inside the state prisons.

Bhullar said that new jails in Punjab would be constructed at least 1 km away from populated areas to ensure that advanced security systems, such as state-of-the-art jammers, do not disturb nearby residents. “This measure will also prevent contraband like drugs and mobile phones from being smuggled into jails by external means. We are very serious in tackling this menace of mobile phones being used from inside jails,” he stated.

Highlighting the challenges faced by the Jail Department, including security concerns, staff shortages and prisoner rehabilitation, Bhullar said the government is working towards modernisation. “Steps include the installation of artificial intelligence-based CCTV cameras and mobile jammers. We will take every effort to ensure that the jailed inmates do not get access to phones and drugs,” he stated.