The Punjab and Haryana high court has given the last opportunity to the Punjab government to file its reply into the Kapurthala jail firing case - in which one inmate was killed on November 20 - and allegations of irregularities and drug trafficking, failing which the state home secretary would have to remain present in court.
The directions came from the division bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by Jalandhar resident Shashi Sharma.
However, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday expressed its inability to carry out investigation in the matter as the state government had already ordered an inquiry.
The CBI also said that the petitioner had highlighted the issues of maintenance of law and order in the jail which is the job of the local police.
The petitioner has alleged that on November 16, Makhan Singh, an inmate of Kapurthala jail, died due to lack of medical aid. On November 20, another inmate, Baldev Singh, also died due to lack of treatment, the plea said.
When the prisoners did not allow authorities to transfer Baldev's body to the hospital and manhandled jail authorities, guards opened fire and resorted to a lathi-charge in which more than 20 inmates got injured and one Manpreet Singh died.
{{/usCountry}}When the prisoners did not allow authorities to transfer Baldev's body to the hospital and manhandled jail authorities, guards opened fire and resorted to a lathi-charge in which more than 20 inmates got injured and one Manpreet Singh died.
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