Apprehending a backlash following the death of Sarabjit Singh, 57 Pakistani prisoners, including two women, lodged in Punjab jails have been segregated from other prisoners and security has been beefed up.
The decision comes within days of Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah Ranjay being beaten up in a Jammu jail. Sanaullah, who was flown to Chandigarh for treatment, is in a critical condition.
The jail department has directed all Superintendents of Central Jails of Punjab to shift all the Pakistani prisoners to the side barracks and Indian prisoners would not be allowed to interact with them, officials said.
The security of Pakistani prisoners in Punjab jails has been stepped up following the death of Sarabjit Singh early on May 2 after failing to recover from injuries he sustained when he was attacked by six inmates in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail, the officials said.
As many as 57 Pakistani prisoners, including two women, are lodged in Punjab's five jails.
Amritsar Jail has 38 prisoners, while Ferozepur has eight, Ludhiana - two (women), Kapurthala - two, Patiala - three and Nabha has four prisoners.
The Jail authorities have been told that the Pakistani prisoners would not be allowed to come out from their barracks till further orders. Normally, they are allowed to move in jail compound from 10 AM to 2 PM.
Jail officials have also been told to check the food to be given to these prisoners. Only jails officials would supply it to them in their barracks, the sources said.
The high security Patiala Central Jail has three conspirators of hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane at Kandahar in 1999 -- Abdul Latif, Dalip Kumar and Yusuf Nepali -- who are lodged since their arrest about twelve years ago.
