The prisoners in Bilaspur District Open Jail on Sunday resorted to hunger strike, accusing the jail administration of “mental torture” through repeated searches, officials said.

According to officials, there are currently about 160 prisoners in the jail. The jail administration conducts search operations from time to time, so that any kind of unwanted object does not reach inside.

When the jail administration started the search operation on Sunday morning, some prisoners opposed it. The prisoners warned that if this process is not stopped, they will collectively boycott food.

The dispute started in the morning and continued till afternoon, after which the jail administration claimed to have resolved the issue.

Jail Deputy Superintendent Bhupinder Singh confirmed the case and said that some prisoners had protested against the search, but the matter was resolved through talks. He said that the jail administration will not make any compromise regarding the jail rules.