By IANS,
Kapurthala (Punjab) : Rioting by prisoners followed by firing by the security guards inside a jail complex on the outskirts of this Punjab city has left one person dead and over 15 inmates injured, jail officials confirmed Monday.
Punjab’s Home Secretary D.S. Bains told media that one person died in police firing inside the jail premises following the rioting by prisoners Sunday.
He said another prisoner had died earlier due to ill-health.
It was the death of a sick prisoner that sparked protests and rioting inside the jail premises through Sunday. The prisoners alleged that the victim died due to lack of medical attention. They even thrashed the jail doctor Sunday.
Security officials had to fire several rounds to contain the rioting by the inmates. At least 15 prisoners were injured.
Jail security staff had to resort to firing inside the jail premises as the rioting continued and the prisoners could not be controlled by baton-charge.
The 15 injured prisoners were shifted under heavy police security to the civil hospital complex in Kapurthala, 180 km from Chandigarh.
Jail authorities and the district administration had Sunday denied that any prisoner died in the incidents.
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also the home minister, late Sunday ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.