A major outbreak of violence rocked the Ludhiana Central Jail on Tuesday, with prisoners going on a rampage and attacking several officials. The incident resulted in serious injuries, including to the jail superintendent who collapsed unconscious and had to be rushed to a hospital.
Superintendent Attacked, Officials Wounded
The chaos began in the evening within the prison walls. According to police reports, a fistfight broke out between two groups of inmates—two on one side and three on the other. When jail staff intervened to pacify the situation and separate the five individuals from others, the confrontation escalated dramatically.
An officer explained that one of the inmates alleged he was being targeted due to his religion, which led him to gather supporters. The opposing side did the same, leading to a larger faceoff. Jail Superintendent Kulwant Singh Sidhu arrived at the scene to take control, but the inmates began pelting bricks at the officials.
One brick struck Superintendent Sidhu directly on the head, causing him to collapse unconscious. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. Other personnel, including Jail DSP Jagjeet Singh and some CRPF personnel, were also wounded in the brick-batting.
How the Situation Spiraled Out of Control
The violence quickly intensified beyond control. When asked how prisoners obtained bricks, an officer revealed that they picked them up from the garden beds in the open area of the jail complex. With the situation deteriorating rapidly, jail authorities activated the emergency siren and called for immediate police reinforcements.
Residents of Ludhiana realized a serious incident was unfolding when police vehicles from across the city, with sirens blaring, sped towards Tajpur Road, the location of the central jail. A heavy police force, led by Ludhiana Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma and other senior officers, reached the prison within minutes.
The combined efforts of police and jail staff were required to finally push the rioting inmates back into their barracks and restore order.
History of Violence and Immediate Aftermath
This is not the first time severe violence has erupted in this facility. In June 2019, police had to fire over 150 gunshots to quell a violent uprising that broke out in the barracks, highlighting ongoing security challenges.
The attack on senior officials inside a high-security prison raises serious questions about inmate management, the availability of potential weapons within the jail premises, and the protocols for handling such riots. The condition of Superintendent Kulwant Singh Sidhu and the other injured officials remains a primary concern as investigations into the precise triggers and sequence of events are expected to begin.
