**Sambalpur: ** Around 350 under trial prisoners (UTPs) out of the total 700 jail inmates lodged at the Sambalpur Circle Jail here are on a stir boycotting food since Monday dinner demanding intoxicants inside the jail premises.
As per reports, they boycotted the Monday dinner as a mark of protest forcing the jail authorities to destroy the food.
Sources said, they came out of their respective jail wards and started protesting the unavailability of gutkha and other intoxicants in the jail.
In a bid to pacify the agitated inmates and bring the situation under control, the jail officials swung into action.
The inmates have reportedly agitating since June 4 following seizure of a huge amount of gutkha and other prohibited items and ready cash during state-wide simultaneous raids on the jails in Odisha.
Notably, Sambalpur Circle Jail’s jailer Sushant Rout was suspended and has later been arrested by the Vigilance sleuths following seizure of over Rs 18 lakh cash, mobile phones and objectionable items from his office chamber during the raid.
On June 4, police seized cash worth Rs 18.86 lakh, nine mobile phones, SIM card, gutkha, ganja and other intoxicants from an almirah inside the office of arrested jailer Sushanta Rout during the raid.
