K’shetra jail admn’s plea to shift gangster Monu Rana dismissed
Gangster Monu Rana’s transfer to the jails in either Karnal or Yamunanagar was sought in view of security threat from other gang members in Kurukshetra jail
A local curt on Friday dismissed an application by the Kurukshetra Jail administration to transfer gangster Shamsher Singh, alias Monu Rana, due to security threat from other gang members.
The plea was moved before the court of judicial magistrate first class Vandana with the information that the number of inmates at the Kurukshetra Jail (687) was much higher than the sanctioned number (446) and 75 were out on interim bail due to Covid-19.
“Due to this, the number of jail guards is lower compared to the number of prisoners. There are several gangsters from at least five groups in the jail, primarily 11 from Monu Rana’s rival Bhupi Rana gang. There is a possibility of an untoward incident here due to the presence of Monu Rana,” the application by the jail superintendent stated.
The plea further added that in Karnal Jail, there are 1,856 inmates lodged against sanctioned 2,434, while in Yamunanagar, there are only 996 prisoners against permitted 1,200, so Monu should be sent to any of these establishments.
“Moreover, during an inspection of the jail by retired Supreme Court judge Amitabh Rai, who is also chairman of the prisons reforms committee, moral instructions were given to transfer inmates with no pending case before Kurukshetra courts,” the jailer said.
Notably, Monu, arrested in connection with the January 20 double murder in Ambala Cantonment, was sent to judicial custody in Kurukshetra Jail on January 25, because of rivalry threat in Ambala, Karnal and Yamunanagar jails.
“Gangster Bhupinder, alias Bhupi Rana, is in Karnal Jail and Monu was previously attacked at the Jagadhri Court Complex in Yamunanagar in 2017 that left him permanently disabled due to a spinal injury,” Monu’s counsel Maan Singh Kakran had told an Ambala court earlier.
Monu is accused of ordering the hit on rival gangster Mohit Rana, who was shot dead in Ambala Cantonment on January 20. Mohit’s aide Vishal, alias Bhola, was also killed in the shootout. Meanwhile, the two shooters from Rohtak, identified for executing the murders, are yet to be arrested.
