Chandigarh

Minister orders probe into death of Patiala jail inmate

PNS

Punjab Jails Minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur on Friday asked the Principal Secretary Home to conduct a thorough probe into the sudden death of an under trial who was lodged in Patiala jail and submit the report within a week.

Phillaur, while expressing concern over the attack on a Pakistani prisoner in Jammu jail, said that the security of all 57 Pakistani prisoners languishing in Punjab jails have been beefed up and as a precautionary measure they are not being allowed to move out of their barracks.

Phillaur also said that 28 Pakistani prisoners in Amritsar, out of the total 38 have already completed their terms and have been lodged in a transit camp within the Jail.

Phillaur also termed the frequent deaths of prisoners and recent incidents of violence in the jail premises as unfortunate.

“Punjab Government has seized the opportunity and is taking some corrective measures in this regard, ” he added.

He added that directions have been issued to the senior officers of the department to immediately resolve all the cases of various enquiries lying pending with the department at the earliest.

Taking serious note of the substandard adulterated medicines being used in the jails, the Minister said that the Health department has also been asked to ensure the adequate and good quantity medicines required for the prisoners in all the Jails of Punjab.