Ludhiana: Authorities ‘don’t want’ to keep errant jail officials among inmates

Assistant jail superintendent Gagandeep Sharma and Satnam Singh along with two inmates Mukhtiar Singh and Vijay Kumar were produced before the court of duty magistrate

The two assistant jail superintendents, who were arrested for allegedly supplying mobile phones and contraband among inmates, were on Sunday remanded in judicial remand, with the police exploring options after the Ludhiana Central jail authorities refused to keep the two accused.

Both the accused could be sent to Patiala or Malerkotla jail on judicial remand, officials said. (HT)

Assistant jail superintendent Gagandeep Sharma and Satnam Singh along with two inmates Mukhtiar Singh and Vijay Kumar were produced before the court of duty magistrate on Sunday. The court ordered to send the accused to jail on judicial remand.

However, the authorities at the central jail here kept the two inmates, but refused to take in the two accused jail officials.

According to jail officials, the accused had served as officials in the Ludhiana Central Jail and could have taken action against the inmates. In such conditions, it would not be safe to keep them here.

The police have informed the court about it. Both the accused could be sent to Patiala or Malerkotla jail on judicial remand, officials said.

Inspector Sukhdev Singh, SHO at Division number 7 police station, said that both the assistant jail superintendents will be sent to some other jail on Monday, as the central jail officials here have shown inability to keep them with other inmates.

The Division number 7 police had arrested the two assistant jail superintendents and ten other accused, including jail inmates and their kin on January 23 for allegedly supplying drugs and mobile phones to the prisoners at the central jail.

According to the police, the kin of the inmates used to handover mobile phones and contraband to assistant jail superintendents Gagandeep Sharma and Satnam Singh, who further supplied the same to inmates in exchange of money. The accused received a bribe from them through UPI.

A case under sections 52 A (1) of the Prison Act, section 21 of NDPS Act and sections 120B and 34 of the IPC was lodged against the accused at Division number 7 police station on January 17. After the arrest of two jail officials, the police added sections under the Prevention of Corruption Act also in the FIR.

Superintendent of Ludhiana Central Jail Shivraj Singh Nandgarh last week had said that he had written to the police to investigate backward linkages of prisoners after getting a cue from ‘inside’ following the recovery of over 1,000 mobile phones from inside the prison in 2023.

Nandgarh said that in 2023, over 1000 mobile phones were recovered from the jail, which was a serious issue. He said that during the probe, the police found the role of two assistant superintendents – Gagandeep Sharma and Satnam Singh- in the case.