Rat terror rocks VVIP prison
Majid Jahangir
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, September 2
Inside a luxury hotel-turned-VVIP jail, rats have unleashed a reign of terror against the high-profile political prisoners, biting two senior mainstream leaders.
Situated on the banks of the Dal Lake, Centaur Lake View Hotel, which has been converted into a sub-jail, houses 35 political prisoners, including National Conference general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone, PDP general secretary Nizamuddin Bhat and 2010 IAS topper-turned-politician Shah Faesal.
The facility, however, turned into a horror house a few days ago when rats unleashed a wave of terror there and bit two senior leaders — PDP general secretary Nizamududin Bhat and Mukhtar Bandh, son of former PDP minister Mohammad Khalil Bandh.
Sources said while Bhat had received minor injuries in the incident, Bandh’s son suffered serious wounds and was provided immediate medical treatment to prevent infection.
“The two incidents have created terror among the inmates,” said a relative after meeting a political detainee at Centaur.
J&K DGP (Prisons) VK Singh said these subsidiary centres (sub-jails) didn’t come under his jurisdiction.
