Punjab: Iron rods, sticks, mobile phones recovered from inmates who ran amok inside Kapurthala jail

Police on Sunday seized iron rods, sticks and mobile phones from hardened inmates who ran amok in the Kapurthala jail following a clash, with the authorities lobbing teargas shells and resorting to a cane charge to restore order, officials said.While two inmates received injuries during their clash, another sustained injury after he was hit by a teargas shell, police said.

Police on Sunday seized iron rods, sticks and mobile phones from hardened inmates who ran amok in the Kapurthala jail following a clash, with the authorities lobbing teargas shells and resorting to a cane charge to restore order, officials said.

While two inmates received injuries during their clash, another sustained injury after he was hit by a teargas shell, police said. No police personnel or jail staff were injured.

The police further said an FIR will be lodged in the matter.

The incident occurred late Saturday night when some of the Block- 4 inmates in the Kapurthala central jail clashed over some issue.

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 manhandle and scuffle with the officials.

Kapurthala Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Toora said a heavy police force was deployed after it received information from jail authorities about some inmates clashed in the jail.

Some inmates even put something on fire outside their barracks, the SSP informed while asserting that there was no jail break nor any inmate went outside of the jail premises.

''It was a localised issue in which some inmates of Block-4 were fighting,'' the SSP said while speaking to reporters in Kapurthala.

He informed that all the inmates in the Block-4 of the jail were hardened criminals, facing four or more criminal cases. Some of the inmates came out of the barrack and reached its rooftop.

The SSP said some of the inmates broke the gate and iron grill leading to the rooftop of the barrack.

After using force, we were able to bring them back to their barrack, police said.

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

The SSP said there could be rivalry among some inmates which lead to tussle among them.

Asked how inmates could be seen holding sticks and rods, the SSP said, ''We are dealing with hardened criminals who are facing serious charges. They took out iron grill and tried to use them as rods.''.

Questioned how inmates made videos of a commotion and share them on social media despite mobile jammers installed, the SSP said it is a matter of investigation to see how it happened. ''We have seized the mobile phones.

We will get their technical analysis. After registering an FIR, we will get to the bottom of the matter,'' he said.

The SSP rejected the claims of some inmates that the jail staff thrashed them up.

Toora said all inmates have been counted and accounted for.

Replying to a question, the SSP said a detailed search operation of the Block-4 was conducted on Sunday and recovered a large number of iron rods, sticks and other items, which inmates were brandishing.

Besides, some mobile phones have also been recovered from them and a technical analysis of these phones will be conducted, he said.

Asked whether there was any negligence on the part of jail authorities, the SSP said there was no such thing. The jail authorities immediately responded to the situation and helped in bringing the situation under control, said the SSP.

Police said as per law, action will be taken against those inmates who created ruckus and also those used mobile phones inside the jail premises.

Asked whether these inmates will be shifted, the SSP said the jail authorities were considering it.

Upon receiving the information, senior police officers including Deputy Inspector General of Police (Jalandhar Range) Naveen Singla, Kapurthala SSP 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.

Congress MP Sukhjinder Randhawa too hit out at the AAP government and said, ''Kapurthala jail violence last night has once again exposed the collapsing law & order situation in Punjab. If even high-security jails are turning into battlegrounds, what message does it send to common citizens?''.

''CM @BhagwantMann should come forward and accept his failure. Punjab deserves safety, accountability and strong governance, not chaos,'' Randhawa said in a post on X.