The home department on Monday ordered an inquiry into the violent unrest, arson and alleged security breach at Kapurthala Central Jail.
Violence erupted late Saturday night when inmates climbed onto rooftops and allegedly set a barrack on fire. Videos purportedly showing the unrest went viral on social media. Police on Sunday booked more than 50 inmates and recovered iron rods, sticks and mobile phones from the prison premises. There are around 4,000 inmates lodged in the jail.
According to orders issued on May 24, Ludhiana commissioner of police Swapan Sharma has been appointed as the inquiry officer and asked to submit a report within two weeks.
The order noted that the incident posed a serious threat to institutional security, with a large number of inmates allegedly engaging in violent and unlawful activities.
“The inmates climbed onto the roofs of jail barracks, damaged property, created a disturbance inside the prison and set fire to clothes and other material in Barrack No 4, posing a serious threat to institutional security, public property and human safety,” the order stated.
It further said that preliminary reports submitted by the Kapurthala deputy commissioner and the additional director general of police (jails) prima facie pointed to serious administrative and security lapses inside the prison.
The inquiry officer has been tasked with examining administrative and supervisory lapses within the jail administration and identifying negligence, misconduct, omission or dereliction of duty by officials responsible for prison discipline and security.
The order specifically referred to “alleged manipulation and forgery related to the transfer of an inmate between barracks, failure of internal supervisory mechanisms and unauthorised possession and use of mobile phones and communication devices by the inmates.”
Stating that accountability and strengthening of prison administration were necessary in the public interest, the order said the inquiry will also check the adequacy, timeliness and effectiveness of the response mounted by jail authorities, district administration and police officials, including force deployment to restore order and control the situation.
“The inquiry will further investigate how inmates gained access to mobile phones and other prohibited communication devices and how video recordings of the incident were made and circulated on social media despite existing security protocols and surveillance systems inside the jail,” the order added.
Sharma has also been directed to examine whether the violence was merely a spontaneous reaction to local grievances or part of a larger premeditated conspiracy involving external facilitation or coordinated attempts to undermine prison administration, public order or the image of the Punjab government.
