One killed in Ludhiana prison clashes

Chandigarh: One inmate was killed and several people were injured as a clash broke out at Central jail on Tajpur Road in Ludhiana on Thursday as the police opened fire to control the situation. Heavy security has been deployed around the jail and fire tenders were sent to the spot. It was learnt that a few prisoners also escaped from the jail. One of them was later arrested.

Meanwhile, Punjab ch-ief minister Capt. Amari-nder Singh has ordered a magisterial inquiry to be conducted by Ludhiana deputy commissioner into the violence.

Taking serious note of the incident, in which one inmate was killed, while five prisoners and around half-a-dozen police personnel were injured, the chief minister has asked for a detailed probe to identify the instigators of the violence. He has made it clear that strict action will be taken against the culprits. The violence broke out around 11.30 am after news of the death of a prison inmate, identified as Sunny Sood, in Rajendra Medical College Hospital, Patiala, reached the jail. Sood was undertrial in an NDPS Act case.

As per preliminary information, the news of Sood’s death triggered a riot in the jail premises, with the 3100-odd inmates refusing to go back into the barracks and starting to pelt stones, which were available due to some on-going construction work.

The rioting inmates also set on fire the record room and car of the jail superintendent along with vandalising the jail property.

As they tried to break the prison gates, the jail police tried to stop them by firing in the air, as per the initial reports. Meanwhile, additional police force reached the spot u/l Sh. Ashwani Kumar, PPS, DCP Ludhiana, to control the situation, along with the tear gas vehicles and 250/300 police personnel. DC Ludhiana Pardeep Agarwal and IG Jails LS Jakhar also reached the spot.

The opposition leader Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal demanded the immediate sacking of jails minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa for the complete breakdown of law and order in jails in Punjab as well as a judicial inquiry into the violent clashes and subsequent break out of prisoners from the Ludhiana central jail.

Expressing shock at the turn of events at the Ludhiana central jail, the former deputy chief minister said such a security lapse was unprecedented in the history of Punjab. “Prisoners rebelled, used gas cylinders to conduct blasts and even chased and injured prison guards including a DSP besides breaking out from the jail. This is indicative of a complete breakdown in administration of jails in Punjab. A clean up exercise is needed and can only be done by sacking Sukhjinder Randhawa immediately. A probe should also be ordered to ascertain what led to this incident and why the jail administration failed to control it. This inquiry should be conducted by a sitting judge to the Punjab and Haryana high court”.