In Surat, the jail administration has taken strict action regarding the alleged VIP treatment given to prisoners and violations of jail rules at Lajpor Central Jail. A departmental investigation was initiated after the Special Jail Raid Squad from Ahmedabad found 11 Android mobile phones during a surprise inspection of the jail barracks.
Following the investigation, a total of eight staff members, including two head constables, three subedar, and three constables, were suspended for negligence in duty and alleged collusion with prisoners. It was reported that during the investigation, cases related to providing restricted items and other facilities to prisoners, as well as unauthorized use of mobile phones, came to light. The jail administration took the allegations of collusion with influential prisoners inside the jail seriously.
The suspended staff members include Ram. S. Lambadia (head constable), Hemraj.
V. Parmar (head constable), DD
Bhabor (subedar), Vijaypuri. R. Bawa (Goswami) (subedar), Hemant.
N. Chaudhary (subedar), Shivbhadrasingh. J.
Gohil (constable), Karman. S. Bhayankar (constable), and Sandeep.
N. Chaudhary (constable). These staff members were affiliated with various jails in the state from the headquarters.
Along with the suspension of the staff, the jailer of Lajpor Central Jail, KJ Dharge, has also been administratively transferred. He has been sent from Surat to Ahmedabad Central Jail. This action was taken in light of the alleged irregularities and lack of surveillance that came to light in the jail.
According to the jail administration, as part of the action, three prisoners have also been transferred to different jails in the state. These include prisoner number 2410 Bipin Natwar Sharma, who has been sent to Palara Special Jail, prisoner number 2576 Kailash Jivtraram Rajani to Vadodara Intermediate Jail, and prisoner number 98388 Prashant Chandrakant Rajput to Porbandar Special Jail. After the action, security and surveillance measures in Lajpor Jail have been further tightened.