J&K jails to segregate militants, young inmates to prevent radicalisation

New Delhi: Facing threats of radicalisation of inmates in Srinagar's Central Jail, Jammu and Kashmir government has sought the Centre's help in segregating petty criminals, including stone-pelters, from hardcore terrorists.

There have been intelligence inputs suggesting that hardcore terrorists had been "brainwashing" youths booked for small crimes like theft or stone-pelting, officials in the Union Home Ministry said and added that it was a "serious trend" which needs to be checked as soon as possible.

The officials said that the state government had asked for a grant of Rs 7 crore for setting up a new prison facility so that hardcore terrorists are separated from petty criminals.

Once a stable of Maharaja Hari Singh, the Central Jail, which is located on the foothills of famous 'Hari-Parbhat', has a capacity for housing 300 inmates. However, due to lack of proper prison facility, the prison was housing nearly 450 inmates.

The officials said that there was no mechanism to keep small-time criminals away from hardened terrorists who not only radicalise them but also make them messengers to get in touch with contacts even across the border.

The state has 13 prisons and the Central Jail in Srinagar is the oldest of them.