Ludhiana: 2 PESCO employees, 4 inmates booked in jail drug supply cases

According to police, preliminary investigation indicated that Pritpal was allegedly supplying narcotics inside the jail while performing his duty. A case was registered against him under the NDPS Act and the Punjab Prisons and Correctional Services Act

Two Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation (PESCO) employees and four jail inmates have been booked in two separate cases after narcotic substances were recovered during checking at Ludhiana Central Jail and the Borstal Jail.

The two cases have brought under scrutiny the alleged role of jail employees in bringing or supplying contraband inside the prison premises. (HT File)

In the first case, PESCO employee Pritpal Singh was booked on the complaint of assistant superintendent Jaswinder Singh after 170 grams of heroin, 16 grams of tobacco and 12.5 grams of a white-coloured intoxicating substance were recovered from him during checking inside Central Jail.

According to police, preliminary investigation indicated that Pritpal was allegedly supplying narcotics inside the jail while performing his duty. A case was registered against him under the NDPS Act and the Punjab Prisons and Correctional Services Act.

In the second case, 30 red-coloured intoxicating capsules were recovered from inmate Mandeep Singh during checking at Borstal Jail. According to police, Mandeep told investigators that the capsules had been supplied to him by another inmate, Tunna Kumar. Further investigation led to the alleged involvement of PESCO employee Mohammad Arbaz. Police have booked inmates Mandeep Singh, Tunna Kumar, Simran Singh and Surjit Kumar, and PESCO staff Arbaz in connection with the case.

Dinesh Kumar, in-charge of Tajpur Road police post under Division Number 7 police station, said two separate cases had been registered on complaints received from jail authorities against the PESCO employees and inmates. He said further investigation was underway.