Srinagar: Restrictions were imposed in downtown Srinagar Friday after protests broke out in the Central Jail overnight.
A senior police official said the inmates protested against jail authorities on Thursday night resulting in scuffles, but didn’t comment on what triggered the unrest. The official added that the situation has been brought under control now.
According to a PTI report, trouble started when prison authorities tried to shift some inmates within the facility because the barracks needed to be renovated. A police official said the inmates thought they were being shifted to jails outside the Valley, and began protesting aggressively. They allegedly set gas cylinders on fire and vanadalised jail property. At least two barracks and a jail mess were set on fire, an official confirmed.
Meanwhile, locals of the area reported sounds of tear gas shelling coming from the jail premises during the night.
Internet services were snapped in Srinagar city while the speed was reduced in south Kashmir.
For now, police and the Central Armed Police Force have been deployed around the jail premises.
(With inputs from PTI)
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