Bathinda jail to be used to lodge terrorists, dreaded criminals

The Punjab government today decided to convert Bathinda jail, originally built to house women inmates, into a high-security prison to lodge some of the most dreaded criminals, gangsters and terrorists currently lodged in Nabha and other jails.

The state government also decided to create new high-security zones for dangerous criminals, gangsters and terrorists in some prisons in the state to segregate them from other criminals and minimise the threat of gang wars.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh gave his approval to these proposals of the Jails Department at a high-level meeting held today to review prison security and reforms.

"The first such cell or zone for gangsters and hardcore criminals will be set up in Bathinda jail," state Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said, adding that a sum of Rs 5 crore was sanctioned by the chief minister in this regard.

At present, there are more than 240 dreaded gangsters lodged in Punjab prisons and 10 high security zones/jails have been established to keep them under strict control and surveillance. These are eight central prisons, the Nabha jail and the district prison in Sangrur, an official spokesperson said.

Notably, an undertrial was attacked by some inmates, including gangsters, at the Ludhiana central jail on the night of June 22. Five prisoners had barged into his barrack and beat him up brutally.

There are specially earmarked areas inside these jail, with enhanced security features for gangsters and other notorious criminals, to effectively monitor their day-to-day activities, the meeting was informed, the spokesperson added.

However, in view of the rising incidents of threats and intimidation by these hardcore gangsters and criminals, the Jails Department had decided to create new high security zones for them, he added.

It has been proposed to convert the Bathinda jail into a high-security prison for dreaded gangsters, to be shifted from the maximum security Nabha prison, both having capacity of 250 inmates.

It was mentioned in the meeting that the move would necessitate minor modifications at a cost of Rs 5 crore. The Bathinda jail already has peripheral livewire fencing, the spokesperson said.

Additionally, new high security zones for dangerous criminals/gangsters/ terrorists will be constructed in Central Prison Faridkot, Central Prison Hoshiarpur, New District Prison, Nabha and Mansa, at an additional cost of Rs 5 crore, he added.