India, Pak prisoners put in separate barracks in Kot Balwal jail

JAMMU: Prisoners from India and Pakistan were segregated at the high security Kot Balwal central jail here by authorities today in a bid to prevent recurrence of the attack on a Pakistani inmate.

Authorities also increased the number of security personnel at the jail, a day after 52-year-old terror convict Sanaullah Ranjay was seriously injured in an attack by an Indian inmate Vinod Kumar following an altercation. Sanaullah, who was badly beaten up, is serving a life term.

Vinod, a former soldier, was, meanwhile, remanded to seven days police custody.

"The prisoners of India and Pakistan have been segregated--the process is on--they are moved to separate barracks (in Kotbalwal Jail)", Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Prisons Mohammad Sultan Lone told reporters.

The staff is maintaining strict vigilance on the movement of the prisoners round the clock, he said.

"We have undertaken a full security review headed by Principal Secretary( Home) Suresh Kumar--necessary steps required to be taken to ensure fool-proof security has been taken", DG( Prisons), K Rajindra told PTI.

Kot Balwal jail houses convicted hard core militants of Harkat-ul-Ansar, Hizbul-Mujahideen, Lashker-e-Tioba(LeT), Jeish-e-Mohmmad (JeM) and separatists apart from hardcore criminals involved in murders.

The Forest Court remanded Vinod to seven days police custody after the police sought his custody for further investigation into the case, a police officer told PTI.

As he is already undergoing life imprisonment in jail, Vinod's police custody was necessary for investigation into the case, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rajesh Kumar said.

Probe in the case has started and senior police officers were at the crime scene today as well, he said.

"All necessary evidence has been collected. The weapon of offence...a brick...has been recovered," he said, adding that Vinod has been booked for the attack.

The evidence is being put together and a charge sheet will be prepared soon, he said.

The Jammu and Kashmir government earlier in the day announced a formal probe, appointing Suresh Kumar as the inquiry officer in the attack on the Pakistani prisoner.

Jail Superintendent Rajni Sehgal was suspended after the attack.