Cops conduct third search of Nabha jail in a month

In a period of one month,the Punjab Police conducted a search of the high security Nabha jail for the third time on Friday after the third Intelligence Bureau (IB) alert that four militants accused in the Ludhiana Shingar Cinema blast in 2007 - lodged in the jail - might make an escape attempt by digging a tunnel.

In a period of one month,the Punjab Police conducted a search of the high security Nabha jail for the third time on Friday after the third Intelligence Bureau (IB) alert that four militants accused in the Ludhiana Shingar Cinema blast in 2007 – lodged in the jail – might make an escape attempt by digging a tunnel.

The first search operation of the jail was carried out in the last week of July followed by a second one in the first week of August. Under pressure due to the presence of top terrorists in the maximum security jail around 800 police personnel assisted by Punjab Armed Police (PAP) and Nabha jail staff carried out a ten-hour long search of the jail premises. Although the search revealed no tools or existence of a tunnel,the team recovered 14 mobile phones and 12 SIM cards including a small quantity of drugs. Nabha police has registered a case against unknown persons under IT and NDPS Acts.

When contacted,Deputy Inspector General of Police (Patiala Range) L K Yadav said,It was routine checking to avoid any untoward incident.

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We have not uncovered any evidence of a tunnel after an extensive search. We have increased security and are taking all precautionary measures, said an officer. Raids were also carried out in surrounding areas of the jail.

The Nabha jail superintendent has also been directed to send daily report of visitors and the days routine of prisoners,especially of the 35 high-profile terrorists lodged in the jail.

IB alert

The IB has thrice alerted Punjab Police that hardcore terrorists – possibly Gurpreet Singh,Harminder,Sandeep Singh and Rinku – may dig a tunnel to escape from jail on the lines of the sensational escape by Jagtar Singh Hawara from Burial jail in Chandigarh along with two other top terrorists. The Punjab Police has conducted an extensive search of Nabha jail each time after receiving the alert.

Many dreaded terrorists from Punjab,Jammu and Kashmir and foreign nationals facing terrorism-related cases from Pakistan,China and Afghanistan are lodged in Nabha. During the last two years,the jail has witnessed many prisoner clashes and hunger strikes by jail inmates.

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