Too many inmates, less staff leave Kapurthala jail gasping

The Modern Jail here on an average has been receiving 28 inmates daily, most of them in connection with drug-related cases, ever since the new government took charge in Punjab 24 days ago . As many as 680 people, mostly drug-peddlers, have been sent to the facility after being arrested by the Jalandhar and Kapurthala police during the said period.

The Kapurthala Modern Jail that has a capacity for 2,670 inmates is accommodating 3,200 prisoners, giving the jail authorities a tough time to ensure order at the facility.

Three clashes among groups of inmates have been reported in as many weeks and overcrowding is being seen as the main reason behind this. In the clashes, 10 inmates had sustained severe injuries.

“The jail has 90 barracks with each having capacity to accommodate 25-30 prisoners. But now every barrack is housing 40-50 prisoners there is only one warder against seven sanctioned posts for each barrack,” a senior officer said on request of anonymity.

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The jail has 83 warders and 40 head warders, against the sanctioned posts of 252 and 58, respectively. Of the 11 sanctioned posts of assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in the jail, two posts have been lying vacant for a long time.

“We require 20 assistant superintendents, 71 head warders and 300 warders to ensure order and strengthen security,” jail superintendent Kulwinder Singh Thiara said.

Sources said the 13 jammers installed at the jail are proving of no use as mobile phone signals are still reaching in some parts of the jail premises.

“We need at least 17 jammers and demand for the same has been sent to the senior authorities,” Thiara said, adding that 70 CCTV cameras have been installed on the campus to keep tabs on the inmates.