Prisoners clash in Nabha jail, three hospitalized

PATIALA: Two separate incidents of violent clash involving same groups of prisoners shook maximum security Nabha jail on Saturday, leaving at least nine jail inmates injured. Whereas one of inmates was injured when the other group threw hot cooking oil over him near jail kitchen, at least two prisoners received multiple fractures and were referred to Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala.
Jail authorities claimed that some of their staff members also received minor injuries while trying to prevent the clash between the two groups in the evening. Sources said that first incident occurred around 10.30am, when Jaspreet Singh, undertrial in high-profile Malkit Singh Keetu murder case, and his companions thrashed Sukhwinder Singh, Jagpal Singh and Sukhkiran Singh — convicts serving their sentence.
Sources said that three convicts had received minor injuries and they were admitted to civil hospital by jail authorities. However, situation went out of control of jail staff once again on late in the evening, when supporters of Sukhwinder, Jagpal and Sukhkiran attacked members of Jaspreet-led group and brutally beat up six inmates.
Two prisioners — Gurjant Singh and Randhir Singh — were seriously injured in the attack. Sources said that both Gurjant and Randhir received multiple fractures and injuries and were referred to Rajindra Hospital, Patiala.
Jaspreet Singh, who had allegedly executed attack in the morning, was injured in the evening when his rivals took hot cooking oil from jail kitchen and threw him over him. He was also rushed to Patiala's Rajindra Hospital.
Injured in morning assault, Sukhwinder Singh told mediapersons in Nabha, "We had repeatedly informed the jail authorities that members of other groups were in possession of rods and other weapons. But jail authorities didn't listen to our pleas. We were requesting them time and again that they may attack us. But authorities took no action."
Injured convict Jagpal Singh alleged that inmates of rival group were having free access to drugs in the jail and jail staff was hand in glove with them.