After the Maoist lightening strike on Congress convoy at Jheeram Valley near Darbha in which 28 people — including Chhattisgharh Congress president Nand Kumar Patel, former Minister Mahendra Karma, former MlA Udai Mudliyar — were killed and 30 others injured, the State administration has increased security in Bastar jails housing inmates related to Naxal violence. Jail wardens along with Closed Circuit cameras are keeping vigil on them round the clock besides changing their barracks regularly.
Notably, Batar jails including Central Jail Jagdalpur, Dantewada and Kanker district jails are overcrowded housing almost 3 times inmates to their strength and more than half of them are related to insurgency cases.
According to Jail authorities around 2400 inmates, both female and male, are housed in Bastar jails. More than half of them are facing charges of involvement in naxal activities as well as having committed offences like murder, assault, blast, arson as well as of possessing illegal arms.
According to the Jail superintendent central Jail Jagadalpur Rajendra Gaikwad , Maximum numbers of such inmates are housed in Central Jail Jagdalpur which also has more than a dozen of hardcore Maoist inmates. likewise, in Kanker jail out of 575 inmates more than 300 are related to Maoist insurgency while in Dantewada their number is 150 out of the total 300 inmates.
Keeping in view the extent of Jheeram Valley attack on Congress convoy after which the Maoists have stepped up their violence in the entire Bastar area the administration has not only stepped up security in jails but also asked authorities to maintain round the clock vigil through CC cameras. The jail administration is also employing senior and trustworthy convicts to keep vigil on inmates related to naxal activities besides changing the barracks of hardcore insurgents regularly.
Maoists demanding to release their colleagues
last year after the abduction of Sukma collector Alex Paul Menon in the discussion with Government interlocutors the Maoist had demanded release of their colleagues.
After the Darbha attack on Congress convoy the insurgents are again raising the same demand forcing the jail administration to tighten security in jails.