Inmates clash at jail in Gurdaspur; 1 hurt

An inmate of the Gurdaspur Central Jail was injured in a violent clash among undertrials on Thursday. The clash occurred despite the jail’s notorious overcrowding, with 1,200 prisoners housed in a facility designed for 950.

Around noon, the news about the clash spread, leading to an urgent call for reinforcement from six police stations: Sadar, City, Kalanaur, Dinanagar, Dhariwal and Dorangla. Sirens blared, and local businesses near the jail temporarily shut down as the situation escalated.

Initially, the Gurdaspur police downplayed the incident, citing a routine “search operation” on social media. However, a senior officer revealed that it was, in fact, a major clash that lasted nearly for four hours, requiring intervention by the police and jail authorities.

The clash left Gagandeep Singh of Sri Hargobindpur injured. He was taken to the Civil Hospital. While rumours suggested that two other prisoners were also hurt, these claims were not officially confirmed by the authorities.