HOSHIARPUR JAIL INMATES ASSAULT DEPUTY SUPDT OVER ISOLATION OF PRISONER

DEPUTY SUPDT HARBHAJAN SINGH WAS ON A ROUND WHEN INMATES MANHANDLED HIM IN PROTEST AGAINST ISOLATION OF ONE PRISONER

HOSHIARPUR: A group of gangsters and their supporters on Monday manhandled deputy superintendent of the central jail here by breaching the cordon of the high-security zone.

Peeved at the isolation of one of the prisoners for violating jail norms, they jumped the security wall of the cell and pounced on deputy superintendent Harbhajan Singh, who was on a round of the premises.

A number of inmates who came to the rescue of the officer were also manhandled.

On Sunday, the jail authorities had isolated convict Gurpreet Singh alias Ladi, who is undergoing a sentence in an attempt to murder case, when he over-ruled their directives regarding security.

Sources said he was using a mobile phone and refused to move inside the barrack.

Irked at his isolation, the inmates lodged in barrack numbers 12 and 13 went berserk and came out by scaling the walls. The offenders included gangster Daljit Singh Bhana.

The sources said since the security staff was inadequate to handle the assaulters, the authorities initially tackled the offenders mildly but once additional police force reached the premises, they were given a “sound bashing.”

Jail superintendent Vikramjit Singh Panthey was not in the jail premises when the incident took place. He was on an official visit to Chandigarh.

Meanwhile, a complaint has been lodged in this connection with the city police station, seeking registration of a case against ten inmates.

STAFF SHORTAGE

Notably, the Hoshiarpur central jail was upgraded by the previous SAD-BJP government, but staff shortage was not addressed.

As many as 1,000 prisoners are currently lodged in the jail against a capacity of 600, whereas the number of security guards deployed here is only nine.

“No doubt, we are grappling with staff shortage, but the higher authorities are seized of the matter,” said Panthey.

He said ten gangsters are lodged in the jail at present, besides several other hardcore offenders.

“The inmates take refuge in human rights law which makes their handling tough,” he added.