Saba Shawl Becomes First Kashmiri Woman to Head Central Jail Srinagar | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Saba Shawl, a Kashmiri woman officer, has been appointed Superintendent in the Prisons Department under Government Order No. 145 Home of 2026 dated March 2, 2026.

Under the order, Saba Shawl has been transferred from her position as Staff Officer to the Director General Prisons, Jammu and Kashmir, and assigned to head a high-security jail with immediate effect.

A resident of Peerbagh, Saba Shawl qualified the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission examination in 2012 for the post of Superintendent of Police (Prisons) after completing a master’s degree in social work. At a time when few women entered uniformed services in the region, her selection was regarded as a notable milestone.

She began her professional career as a senior community development consultant and later worked with the Indo Global Social Service Society, focusing on grassroots social work and capacity-building initiatives. She secured the lone open merit position for SP Prisons in the PSC examination.

Following her selection, Shawl underwent six months of training and was posted to several correctional facilities across the Union Territory. Her early assignments included service at Central Jail Kothbalwal and Kupwara Jail, where she gained operational experience in prison administration.

She later served at Prisons Headquarters, handling administrative duties and working as Public Relations Officer, with responsibilities spanning coordination, training programmes and departmental management.

Her appointment to head Central Jail Srinagar — one of the Union Territory’s key correctional facilities — is being viewed by officials as a significant development for women officers in the department, citing her combined field and administrative experience.