Inmates at the Kapurthala jail on Saturday evening went on a rampage on the premises and set one of the barracks on fire. The gunshots were reportedly heard in the pandemonium.

The police and the civil administration sprang into action to contain the situation. Firefighting teams were pressed into service to douse the barrack fire.

Speaking to The Tribune, DIG, Jalandhar Range, Naveen Singla, said: “A fight broke out among the inmates this evening after which 100 to 150 of them came out of their barracks, indulged in hooliganism and set the barrack number 4 on fire. The police lobbed grenades and tear-gas shells to send the inmates back to their barracks. The situation is now under control."

The DIG said one of the inmates suffered a tear gas injury and had been admitted to the Civil Hospital. He said none of the jail inmates had escaped and they were all inside the jail. The DIG also added it was a localised incident affecting only one block and around 150 inmates. There are 10 to 12 blocks in the Kapurthala jail and between 3,000 and 4,000 inmates.

Sources, however, said the clash broke out as an inmate was reportedly taken to a barrack on alleged forged signatures of a senior jail official when inmates were returning to their barracks after the day’s work. Angry with the jail administration, inmates clashed, vandalised the premises and tried to set it on fire, with one of the barracks catching fire.