SRINAGAR: For the first time, a woman officer has been appointed as Superintendent of Srinagar Central Prison, one of the oldest prisons in the Union Territory, which previously housed several high-profile prisoners, including militants and political prisoners.
As per an official order issued on Monday evening, four officials were appointed as superintendents of various prisons in Jammu and Kashmir. Saba Shawl, a 2012 batch in-charge, has been given charge of Srinagar Central Jail.
Prior to her recent appointment, Saul was posted as Staff Officer, Director General of Prisons, J&K. She also worked as a Public Relations Officer in J&K Prisons Department.
Saba’s transfer was issued through Order No. 145 – Home of the year 2026 on March 2.
A resident of Srinagar’s posh Pir Bagh area, Saul holds a master’s degree in social work and passed the prestigious Kashmir Public Service Commission exam in 2012.
Officers who know her said Saul is well-versed in her job. An officer, who requested anonymity, said: “She has tremendous experience, although it will be a difficult task for her, but she knows the department well.”
Srinagar Central Prison is the oldest prison in UT, its building bearing signs of age and decay. It houses more than 900 prisoners, including many political prisoners, and is well guarded not only by the police but also by the CISF. The prison has also been in the news in the past after raids were carried out in the prison and phones were recovered from prisoners. In the past, the prison housed foreign militants and senior separatist leaders. However, most of them were transferred to another high-profile prison in UT, like Kot Palwal, Jammu.
