Overcrowding Birgunj jail raises safety concerns

Published On: February 13, 2017 04:10 PM NPT By: Republica  | @RepublicaNepal


BIRGUNJ, Feb 13: The Birgunj Jail, that has been housing inmates double the number of inmates than its authorized capacity, has been facing safety and security issues for sometimes now. 

The Jail built during the Rana reign and having capacity to house 500 inmates has limited space where a total of 1,227 of them including 210 Indian nationals have been put. 

The occasional brawl among the inmates, fatal attacks and assigning inmates' leaders for ensuring internal security in the jail instead of proper security personnel have highlighted the severity of the issue in the jail where five children are also living behind the bar with their mothers doing their time in jail. 

The inmates on one hand are feeling insecure due to the occasional events of physical fight among the inmates in the jail while the chances of jail break on the other hand are also increasingly high in lack of strong security measures adopted for the operation of jail. 

A recent incident of Rajan Baniya, an inmate, succumbing to injury after a knife attack in a brawl with another inmate has stoked fear among the fellow inmates who have also complained that the jailers were fleecing them monetarily. 

An inmate, on the condition of anonymity, shared that those inmates failing to provide money to their leaders are subjected to physical attacks from them. 

When asked the Jail Management Committee Coordinator Keshavraj Ghimire on the same, refuted any weakness in the jail management, stating that the Armed Police Force personnel were guarding the jail and no such events are recorded to have occurred yet. 

He assured that the security of the jail will be further stepped up to avoid any untoward activities concerning inmates. 

Jailer Chakrapani Gautam, who was spotted playing chesses with fellow jailer, said that the inmates were under the scrutiny. However, the security issue will remain a pressing concern until the chief jailer and assistant jailers are deputed in adequate number. RSS 


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