Foodgrains pilfered at Colvale jail

Panaji: The prison authorities have launched a preliminary investigation into the alleged pilferage of foodgrains and other food supplies meant for inmates of the Colvale-based Central Jail.

The alleged pinching of food supplies came to light during the monthly audit of the essentials, forcing the jail administration to seek an explanation from the concerned jail personnel.

 “The suspicion on the ‘leakage’ of food supplies surfaced during the monthly stock check. The food supplies, which were supposed to be sufficient for around 12 to 15 days, were  however adequate only for around eight days, although there has been reduction in the number of jail inmates in  the last couple of months,”  inspector-general of prisons Gurudas Pilarnekar said. 

“As such we have initiated the preliminary investigation to find out as how this has happened and who are involved in it,”   he disclosed.

The food supplies are bought in bulk every month and orders are placed well in advance.

Pilarnekar clarified that there is no shortage of food supplies, and that food is served to the inmates on time.

There were around 550 jail inmates before the lockdown was imposed in the state in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.  However, this number has gone down below 460.

Some inmates are on parole and furlough, while some undertrials are out on bail, a jail official said, reckoning that going by the decreasing number of jailbirds, the quantity of food supplies required per day also should have decreased.

Sources maintained that the quantity of food supplies must have been inflated, and a probe will throw light on the matter.

The prison authorities have also initiated an inquiry into a viral video which shows some prisoners walking in the Central Jail. Sources in the prison administration said the video appears to be old, as one of the inmates seen in the video is currently out on bail.

A senior prison official said the inquiry will find out as who had recorded the video, whose mobile phone was used and when it was recorded.

Statements of jail personnel are also being taken in this connection.