BANGALORE Aug 13: Over 300 prisoners of the City Central Jail here went berserk inside the jail premises on Tuesday morning and broke the fencing around a barrack. They were protesting against the quantity and quality of food in the jail.

Platoons of the City Armed Reserve (CAR) police and Swift Action Force (SAF) were rushed in to bring the situation under control.

Trouble started when at around 9 A M, the prisoners, mostly undertrials in the E-block, refused to have their breakfast complaining that the rice given to them was substandard as it was improperly cooked and got stale fast. They also contended that the measure used by the prison authorities was ``not fair''.

When the Inspector General of Police (Prisons), H T Sangliana reached the jail, the undertrials started shouting slogans against him and the reforms he tried to implement in the jail. They wanted their visiting hours to be extended and and the number of visitors to be unlimited.

At this point, the life convicts also joined the agitating mob. They demanded the release of the prisoners, who had served six years in the jail, on the eve of 50-years of Independence.

This demand was on par with the Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh Government decisions to release the prisoners who had served six years imprisonment while the State Government had decided to release the prisoners who had served 12 years in jail.

At around 12 noon, the agitated prisoners broke the fencing around the barracks and around 300 prisoners went berserk. The jail employees who were far less in number could do nothing but watch the scene.

The City police were immediately informed and the City Armed Reserve police platoons were rushed to the spot and the situation was brought under control by persuading the prisoners. At around 2 pm, the police negotiated with the representatives of prisoners and they went back to their barracks.

State Government orders probe

The Karnataka Government today ordered an inquiry by a two-member committee into yesterday's rioting in the Central Jail, here, Minister of State for Prisons V Somanna informed the Legislative Council today.

Replying to a matter raised by Dr V S Acharya (BJP) and others during Zero Hour, he said Inspector General of prisons H T Sangliana and City Police Commissioner L Revannasiddaiah would probe the incidents and submit a report in eight to ten days.

Terming the rioting as ``unfortunate'', Somanna said steps would be taken to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future. Three inmates, involved in the rioting were identified and cases would be booked against those responsible for it. Disciplinary action would be taken if officials were involved. A police outpost would be created outside the jail, he added.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.