Protests rock Jalpaiguri jail as inmates seek Covid bail

Jalpaiguri: Around 200 inmates of Jalpaiguri Central Correctional Home went on the rampage on Saturday and held six jail wardens hostage for nearly five hours, demanding immediate bail on the ground that the facility was cramped and unsafe for them amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
A posse of cops from Dhupguri, Moynafuri, Rajgunj and Kotwali police stations, along with Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel, managed to bring the situation under control in the evening, but not before the undertrial prisoners had pelted stones at jail staff, damaged surveillance cameras and snapped cable lines.
Jalpaiguri SP Abhishek Modi said while an inquiry had been ordered into the incident, demands of the inmates would also be looked into.
The jail has two complexes, which together house 1,273 prisoners. Trouble began brewing at the new complex, housing 550, in the morning when some inmates allegedly found food being served in unhygienic condition. An altercation with kitchen staff snowballed into a violent protest by noon.
Armed with stones, bricks and rods, 200-odd inmates trooped to the football field on the premises and uprooted the goalposts. They chased prison officials and staff, taking the six wardens hostage along with eight sweepers, police said.
After a marathon negotiation with senior police officers across an iron barricade inside the jail compound, the inmates finally withdrew their agitation and returned to their wards around 5pm.
“We were compelled to exercise maximum restraint because the inmates were holding six wardens and eight sweepers hostage. Use of force could have aggravated the situation,” said a senior police officer.
The jail’s chief disciplinary officer Asim Acharya said most of the inmates who turned violent were in custody on charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. “They instigated others housed in the new complex to join their demand for bail,” he said.
SP Modi said the situation was now under control. “There was problem in the jail. We have settled the matter. They (inmates) had some demands. We have said we will look into the demands. Also, a probe has been initiated into the violence,” the SP added.