Daijiworld Media Network - Kapurthala
Kapurthala, May 24: Three inmates were injured after a violent clash broke out among prisoners inside the high-security Central Jail in Kapurthala late on Saturday night, triggering chaos in Barrack 4 as inmates brandished iron rods and sticks and climbed onto the jail rooftop.
Punjab Police said normalcy was restored after police and jail authorities used teargas shells and conducted a cane charge to bring the situation under control.
According to officials, hardened inmates went on a rampage following the clash, damaging jail property and setting fire to materials outside their barracks. Iron rods, sticks and mobile phones were recovered during the operation.
Police said two inmates sustained injuries during the clash, while another was injured after being hit by a teargas shell. No jail staff or police personnel were injured.
There are around 4,000 inmates lodged in the jail.
Videos of the incident circulated widely on social media, showing inmates carrying rods and sticks on the rooftop and recording videos on mobile phones. Footage also showed damaged walls, vandalised sections and small fires inside the prison complex.
However, police denied claims of a jailbreak or firing inside the jail and clarified that no inmate had escaped.
Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Toora said all inmates had been brought back to their barracks after an hour-long operation conducted around 2 am on Sunday.
“A heavy police force was deployed after information was received from jail authorities about a clash among inmates inside the jail. Three injured inmates have been admitted to hospital and are under treatment,” he said.
Toora said the clash occurred between rival inmate groups housed in Barrack 4 of Phase I of the jail and involved hardened criminals facing multiple criminal cases.
He added that some inmates broke gates and iron grills leading to the rooftop and used the material as weapons.
Police also confirmed that an FIR would be registered in connection with the violence and a technical analysis of seized mobile phones would be carried out.
Opposition leaders criticised the Aam Aadmi Party government over the incident.
Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said the violence exposed the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab, while Bikram Singh Majithia of the Shiromani Akali Dal alleged that Punjab jails had turned into battlegrounds for criminals.
Police said a detailed search operation was conducted in the barrack on Sunday and further action would be taken against the inmates involved.