Punjab: Three injured after ruckus in Kapurthala jail as police use teargas, cane charge

One of the inmates can be seen showing injuries in a purported video.There are around 4,000 inmates in the Kapurthala jail.Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia criticised the AAP government over the Kapurthala jail incident.Punjabs jails are no longer correction centres.

After inmates ran amok in the Kapurthala jail due to a clash, authorities lobbed teargas shells and resorted to cane charge to restore order, officials said on Sunday.

While two inmates received injuries during the cane charge, another was hit by a teargas shell, police said.

The incident occurred late Saturday night when some of the Block 4 inmates clashed over some issue. The exact cause of the clash is yet to be confirmed.

Jail authorities tried to intervene in the matter to prevent them from fighting, a senior police officer said, adding that the inmates, however, tried to scuffle with the officials.

Some of the inmates came out of the barrack, reached its rooftop and a few of them even set some clothes on fire, the officer said.

Following the incident, heavy police force was deployed to bring the situation under control.

''Police used tear gas shells and resorted to cane charge to control the situation,'' the officer said.

No personnel or jail staff have received any injury, according to police.

The inmates have returned to their barrack, and all of them have been counted, police further said.

''The situation is completely under control,'' Deputy Inspector General of Police (Jalandhar Range) Naveen Singla said.

Singla insisted that there was no damage to the jail property.

''I have checked the jail property,'' he said.

Upon receiving the information, senior police officers including Singla, Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora and other police personnel rushed to the prison.

Purported videos from inside the jail premises showing a commotion have surfaced on social media.

In the clips, some inmates can be heard accusing jail authorities of using force against them. One of the inmates can be seen showing injuries in a purported video.

There are around 4,000 inmates in the Kapurthala jail.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia criticised the AAP government over the Kapurthala jail incident.

''Punjab's jails are no longer correction centres. Under @BhagwantMann's government, they have turned into battlegrounds for criminals,'' Majithia said.