VASCO
Seeking to defend himself, Sada Sub Jail Superintendent Gaurish Shankwalkar said he had called IG Prisons Siddivinayak Naik several times on his mobile phone to inform him about the Sada Sub jail incident on Tuesday night.
He was reacting to the report submitted by the IG Prisons to the Chief Secretary that he was not informed about the Sada Sub Jail incident by Shankwalkar and Assistant Jail Superintendent Banudas Pednekar, and that he came to know about the same only on Wednesday morning.
“I was near Agassaim Police station when I got the news, and I immediately rang Naik on his mobile phone several times, but there was no response,” Shankwalkar told The Goan.
“When we entered the jail, it was pitch dark and we could not see anything. We had trouble entering the jail as everything was damaged and scattered on the floor, including the area near the jail entrance door,” added Shankwalkar.
“We had to enter the jail cautiously with police as the inmates were violent, and only after bringing the situation under control at about 1.30 am on Wednesday that we left the jail,” he said.
Murder accused, Vinayak Karbotkar, was killed in a clash between two groups of jail inmates at Sada Sub Jail, Mormugao late Tuesday night. The inmates of Sada Sub Jail went berserk and damaged computers, server, CCTVs, windows, jailor's office, other electrical appliances and office equipment.
The episode is the latest in the long list of controversial incidents at Sada Sub Jail. It may be recalled that on July 27, 2014, there was a clash between local jail inmates and Nigerians. On May 30, 2015, the IG Prisons conducted a surprise raid at Sada Sub Jail and recovered cigarettes, tobacco-related products and 18 mobile phones with valid SIM cards from 18 undertrials.
On January 2, 2016, Sada Sub Jail senior undertrials Rajesh Thakur, Chandu Lamani, Kutbnuddin Sandi alias Khushboo alias Salim Madarsab Sandi, Ritesh Dias alias Shirodkar and Mangesh Kankonkar assaulted three undertrials Abhishek Rai, Abhinav Rai and Maneesh Shivpoojune for not paying ransom of Rs 50,000.
On March 17, 2016, Carvem Panch and mining activist Ravindra Velip was assaulted, while on September 16, 2016, undertrial Sanjay Chawan was assaulted by another undertrial Sujit Kumar Singh. Chawan was admitted in ICU in GMC Hospital and succumbed to his injuries on October 5.
On October 1, 2016, undertrial Renuka Chawan, accused in murder, and Reshma Shaik involved in human trafficking consumed Phenol. On October 25, 2016, undertrials Chandru Patil and Sameer Bepari assaulted IRB constable Sudesh Velgekar inside the escort vehicle.
On October 27, 2016, undertrial Ryaz Ibharim and a senior undertrial were involved in a clash over the use of washroom. On December 12, 2016, undertrial Irshad Singur consumed phenol.
