In a first, woman officer to take over as superintendent of Srinagar Central Jail
Saba Shawl becomes the first woman superintendent of Srinagar Central Jail, overseeing over 900 prisoners in the historic facility.
For the first time, a woman officer has been appointed as the superintendent of Srinagar Central Jail, one of the Union Territory’s oldest prisons, which once housed several high-profile inmates, including militants and political prisoners.
According to an official order issued on Monday evening, four officials were posted as superintendents to different jails in Jammu and Kashmir. Saba Shawl, a 2012 batch official, was assigned responsibility for the Srinagar Central Jail.
Before her latest posting, Shawl was posted as the Staff Officer, Director General of Prisons J&K. She has also served as a public relations officer in the J&K Prisons department.
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Saba’s transfer was issued through an order No. 145-Home of 2026 dated March 2.
A resident of posh Pir Bagh locality in Srinagar, Shawl holds a master’s degree in social work and cleared the prestigious Kashmir Public Service Commission examination in 2012.
Officers who know her said that Shawl is well versed in her job. “She holds tremendous experience, though it will be a challenging job for her but she knows the department very well,” an officer said, who asked not to be named.
{{/usCountry}}Officers who know her said that Shawl is well versed in her job. “She holds tremendous experience, though it will be a challenging job for her but she knows the department very well,” an officer said, who asked not to be named.
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{{/usCountry}}Central Jail Srinagar is the oldest jail in the UT with its building bearing signs of age and decay. It houses more than 900 prisoners, including several political prisoners and is well guarded not only by the police but also by CISF. The jail has also been in the news in the past after raids were carried out in the prison and phones were recovered from the prisoners. In the past, the jail has housed foreign militants and top separatist leaders. However, most of them have been shifted to another high-profile jail in the UT, such as Kot Balwal, Jammu.
{{/usCountry}}Central Jail Srinagar is the oldest jail in the UT with its building bearing signs of age and decay. It houses more than 900 prisoners, including several political prisoners and is well guarded not only by the police but also by CISF. The jail has also been in the news in the past after raids were carried out in the prison and phones were recovered from the prisoners. In the past, the jail has housed foreign militants and top separatist leaders. However, most of them have been shifted to another high-profile jail in the UT, such as Kot Balwal, Jammu.
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