The Hindu : Front Page : Maoists being shifted from sub-jail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 18, 2005

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Maoists being shifted from sub-jail

SAMBALPUR: Close on the heels of the Jehanabad incident in Bihar, steps have been taken to shift Maoist naxalites lodged in the Rairakhol sub-jail in Sambalpur district of Orissa to other jails.

Twenty Maoists, arrested during combing operations in Sambalpur and Deogarh, are being kept in the circle jail here and the sub-jail at Rairakhol. Twelve will be shifted to the circle jail here, while the rest will be taken to the jail at Deogarh, S. Debdutt Singh, Superintendent of Police, Sambalpur, said.

The sub-jail at Rairakhol is located on the outskirts of the small town and close to dense forests. This has raised security concerns. The circle jail, on the other hand, is overcrowded with 619 prisoners, though facilities exist only for 351 inmates. The jails also have less than the required number of security men, who are armed with obsolete weapons.

The State Government recently issued instructions for strengthening security in jails in districts infested with left-wing ultras.

Reports said eight Maoists, including two women, last Tuesday visited Jharapada village near Rairakhol and distributed literature as part of their "public relations" exercise.

The two-member administrative panel, constituted by the Government to probe the Jehanabad attack, did not begin its enquiry on Thursday.

Water Resource Development Secretary and panel member V. Jaishanker said in Patna that the team was likely to visit Jehanabad on Monday.

The other member, Inspector-General (Railways) A.C. Verma, said the "panel will not share any information with the media on when the probe will begin and conclude ... I just don't want to say anything on that. The report will be submitted to the Governor."

The newly appointed Inspector-General (Prisons), Anand Kishor, on Thursday inspected the Jehanabad sub-jail and held discussions with senior district officials, including the District Magistrate, on strengthening security and improving living conditions.

Protests against the suspension of Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar continued for the second day. Scores of policemen, some in uniform, staged a demonstration in front of the Collectorate. The dharna was lifted as Rana Avadhesh, DM, assured them that the Director-General of Police and the Chief Secretary had promised to take up the issue with Governor Buta Singh.— PTI

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