Amarinder rejects demand to sack Punjab Jails Minister

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Thursday rejected demands for the resignation of Jails Minister or officials of the Ludhiana Jail where one inmate died after violence broke out inside the premises.

"There is no question of any resignation. Why should anyone resign? Such things need to be tackled and a probe will find out what instigated violence," he told reporters, when asked about demands from the Akali Dal for resignation of jail officials and the minister.

"The Akali Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party have nothing constructive to say, except making such illogical demands. Situations are to be dealt and we are dealing with it," he also said.

Amarinder ordered a magisterial inquiry, to be conducted by DC Ludhiana, into Thursday's outbreak of violence in the Central Jail.

Taking serious note of the incident, in which one inmate was killed while five prisoners and around half a dozen police personnel were injured, the chief minister has asked for a detailed probe to identify the instigators of the violence. He has made it clear that strict action will be taken against the culprits.

The violence broke out around 11.30 am after news of the death of a prison inmate, identified as Sunny Sood, in Rajendra Medical College hospital, Patiala, reached the jail. Sood was undertrial in an NDPS Act case.

As per preliminary information, the news of Sood's death triggered a riot in the jail premises, with the 3,100-odd inmates refusing to go back into the barracks and starting to pelt stones, which were available due to some ongoing construction work.

The rioting inmates also set on fire the record room, along with car of the Jail Superintendent apart from vandalising the jail property, a spokesperson of the government said.

As they tried to break the prison gates, the jail police tried to stop them by firing in the air, as per the initial reports. Meanwhile, additional police force reached the spot to control the situation, along with the tear gas vehicles and 250/300 police personnel.

The situation was finally brought into control at around 1.30 pm, when the prisoners were put back in the barracks.

During an informal interaction with mediapersons, the chief minister said the incident did not reflect any law and order breakdown in Punjab.