Mangaluru : A day After double murder of undertrial inside the prison, on Monday ADGP (Prison) Kamal Panth visited the Mangaluru sub-jail on Tuesday.

Speaking to mediapersons outside the prison, he said around 40 personnel from the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) will provide security facilities outside the Mangaluru sub-jail within a fortnight.

“Although the KSISF personnel will have no jurisdictional powers inside the prison, their services can be used in case of inter-gang clashes inside the prison,” said the police official. Admitting that there is shortage of staff in the Prison Department, he said that the recruitment process is underway.

“The written tests have already been conducted and the physical tests of the candidates will be conducted shortly,” he added.

“We are probing into the double murder incident in different angles and action will be initiated against those who were involved in the murder inside the jail. I have come to study the situation in the prison. I have held discussions with the police, jail officials, staff and inmates. We have taken the issue seriously,” said the ADGP.

On the report that one of the inmates Mohammed Basheer was missing from the jail, Panth clarified, “He is not missing, he is still inside the jail. One inmate was missing during attendance, but was later found hiding inside a bathroom. Also, he was just hiding out of fear after the Monday’s incident.”

To a query on lodging notorious criminals in the old jail building, the ADGP said that it was only a temporary measure.

“There has been an increase in group behaviour inside the prison, although the prison had not seen group clash in the last six to eight months. Now, with the clash, however, two undertrials have been murdered. We are probing into the weapons that reached inside the prison. The new jail building has CCTV camera facility, unlike the old building. Measures will be taken to install CCTV cameras in the old building too,” he added.

“While the Mangaluru sub-jail can hold up to 250 inmates, the prison, in reality, has 400 prisoners. An inquiry on the alleged supply of beedi, ganja and cigarettes to the inmates, along with the involvement of jail staff in it, will be conducted,” he said.

ADGP (Law and Order) Alok Mohan said that intelligence personnel in a report had hinted at the possibility of gang rivalry inside the Mangaluru sub-jail. Based on the report, the Prison Department was asked to take precautionary measures and three undertrials were shifted from Mangaluru sub-jail.

“There were instances of police receiving ganja, beedi and cigarettes inside the jail during inspection. We have, however, not found weapons so far. The allegations on Madoor Isubu possessing revolvers in the prison is baseless,” added Alok Mohan.

“Madoor Isubu and Ganesh were lodged in different cells in the old building. The accused were also lodged in different cells of the same block. Yusuf was walking on the prison premises when the accused jumped across the wall and attacked Isubu,” explained the officer.