Kapurthala: At least three inmates sustained injuries during a violent outbreak inside Kapurthala Central Jail on Saturday night, prompting police to deploy tear gas shells to regain control. Authorities confirmed that normalcy was restored within the prison premises around midnight, and a case is being registered against the rioting inmates.
Details of the Incident
Kapurthala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Toora, who rushed to the jail with additional police forces after receiving information around 9:15 pm, stated that the violence originated in Block 4, a section housing inmates facing four or more criminal cases. The trouble began when a clash erupted between two groups of prisoners. When jail staff intervened, some inmates allegedly turned against them and escalated the violence.
The SSP reported that CCTV cameras were damaged, articles were set on fire, and doors were vandalized. Inmates also allegedly took LPG cylinders from the kitchen to threaten jail staff and police personnel. The prisoners climbed onto rooftops of the jail complex, and it required considerable effort, including negotiations, to bring them down. Three injured inmates were hospitalized, while the FIR will include charges related to arson, rioting, obstructing public servants from discharging duty, and criminal conspiracy, along with provisions of the Prisons Act and IT Act.
De-addiction Treatment and Social Media Videos
SSP Toora revealed that more than half of the inmates in the jail are undergoing de-addiction treatment. Meanwhile, videos circulating on social media claimed that the violence began after two prisoners were tortured by jail staff. In the videos, allegedly shot by the prisoners, two inmates displayed marks of blunt injuries on their bodies and alleged they had been assaulted. They also denied that the unrest was the result of a clash between inmate groups. SSP Toora said two mobile phones allegedly used to record the videos were seized. "These phones were damaged, but we will try to recover the data," he said.
Jail superintendent Shymal Jyoti did not respond to calls seeking comment.
