Jail supdt suspended for misbehaving with woman visitor

Superintendent of Sorada sub-jail in Ganjam district of Odisha has been suspended following an allegation that his staff misbehaved with a woman who had gone to meet her husband lodged in the prison.
"We received the suspension order from inspector general (prisons) office on Wednesday," senior superintendent, Berhampur Circle Jail, Raghunath Majhi said today.
The suspension was ordered on the basis of preliminary inquiry and thorough investigation into the allegation levelled against jailor-cum-superintendent Laxmikanta Pati is in progress, he said.
Jail inmates detained Pati for several hours inside a ward on Tuesday following the alleged incident on Monday. They relented and released him after police intervened. Two cases have been registered in this connection.

Baijayanti Gouda, wife of murder accused Prasant Gouda, lodged a complaint alleging that jail staff misbehaved with her when she was in the jail to meet her husband.
Pati also lodged an FIR against 10 inmates for illegally detaining him. "We have registered two cases and are investigating the incidents," said IIC of Sorada police station S K Jena.

Sources said Baijayanti objected when jail staff frisked her before she was allowed to meet her husband. A jail officer said they suspected that she was carrying contraband for the inmates.
"Jail staff have been asked to search all materials carried by visitors," said DIG (prisons), southern range, Gopabandhu Mallick. The practice started after an undertrial prisoner was shot by a visitor at Bhanjanagar special jail on February 12, last year, he added.

Pati alleged that the inmates targeted him as he restricted supply of contraband to the jail with frequent raids. Recently, a mobile charger was recovered from the jail premises, he added.