E-Paper
Snake scare grips Basti jail, 3 inmates bitten
LUCKNOW Inmates and staff of Basti district jail are living in fear of snakes as three prisoners were bitten by the reptiles in past 15 days with one of them succumbing
LUCKNOW Inmates and staff of Basti district jail are living in fear of snakes as three prisoners were bitten by the reptiles in past 15 days with one of them succumbing to the snake bite.
On Monday, the jail authorities sought the help of some snake charmers who managed to capture four snakes after carrying out a three-hour search operation on the jail premises.
The staff and inmates, however, are still under fear suspecting that they could be more snakes there.
Spokesman of prison departments and reforms headquarters in Lucknow Santosh Verma said three inmates -- Babbu, Dileep and Rajkumar -- were bitten by snakes in the 15 days while four others had narrow escape.
He said Babbu, who was serving life sentence in the jail, died after the snake bite while Dileep and Rajkumar were saved with timely treatment.
Verma said jailer Satish Chandra Tripathi hired six snake charmers to get rid of the snakes and after a thorough search of the jail premises they captured four snakes.
According to the snake charmers, the snakes entered the jail premises along with drain water when it overflowed due to rain. Verma said prisoners and jail staff have been told to remain alert as presence of more snakes could not be ruled out.
Home guard held with marijuana on Basti jail gate
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
LUCKNOW A home guard was held while taking 20 small packets of marijuana inside the jail premises during checking at Basti jail on Sunday.
The jail authorities lodged an FIR against him under the Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and violation of jail manual.
Jailer of Basti district jail Satish Chandra Tripathi said the home guard named Shiv Kumar was deployed on the duty at the outer cordon and his duty was from 8 am on Sunday morning. He said the home guard reached late on duty and started entering the jail premises hurriedly when he was stopped by jail warder Vijay Kumar for routine frisking.
He said the warder found 20 small packets of marijuana hidden in his clothes.
Tripathi said the home guard revealed during interrogation that a jail inmate named Ranjeet had asked him to bring marijuana and had given ₹1000 for the purpose.
“A case has been registered against the home guard and the jail inmate in this connection,” said Tripathi.
