Bhubaneswar: At a time when cases of jail inmates testing positive for coronavirus are being reported from different prisons of Odisha, several inmates of Jharpada Special Jail in Bhubaneswar were seen indulging in merrymaking in alleged violation of COVID-19 guidelines.
The incident came to fore after video clips featuring some inmates dancing to music went viral.
According to a source, as many as three video clips are doing rounds of social media platforms, garnering negative comments, most of which are targeted at the jail authorities.
The first clip shows some inmates sitting together, singing devotional songs and smoking ganja from a chillum. In the second clip, some other inmates can be seen dancing to songs. And the third clip shows a jail staff receiving something from an inmate.
While it is not yet clear when the videos were recorded, the jail authorities claimed that they were old videos recorded before COVID outbreak.
Meanwhile, three jail superintendents including the superintendent of Jharpada Special Jail have been reshuffled.
While Jharpada Special Jail superintendent Dheerendra Nath Barik has been transferred to Bolangir jail, Bolangir jail superintendent Urmila Minj has been posted at Puri jail. And Puri jail superintendent Saroj Kumar Biswal has been posted as Jharpada Special Jail superintendent.
PNN
