Four officials of the Colvale Central Jail in Goa were suspended for alleged dereliction of duty after videos surfaced on social media showing the prison inmates burning an effigy of demon king Ravana to celebrate Dussehra.

Inspector General of Prisons Omvir Singh on October 27 issued the suspension orders to assistant superintendent Chandrakant Harijan, jailors Mahesh Fadte and Anil Gaonkar and assistant jailor Ramnath Gaude attached to the central jail at Colvale in North Goa.

Sources said the action was initiated after videos surfaced on the social media showing inmates burning the Ravana effigy on the jail premises using firecrackers on the eve of Dussehra.

Burning effigies of Ravana during Dussehra celebrations is a common practice across India. This year, Dussehra also known as Vijayadashmi was celebrated on October 24.

"The suspension order said the jail officials will have to answer how inmates were allowed to make the effigy without taking any prior permission. An inquiry will also be conducted as to how mobile phones were allowed in the jail premises," a senior official of the prison said.

The suspension order pointed out that the incident highlights the issue of safety and security of the jail, he said.

"The jail officials have been held primarily responsible for the episode and hence they have been placed under suspension, pending inquiry," he added.

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