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Ludhiana: Two jail officials held for supplying drugs to inmates
The two assistant jail superintendents took money from family of prisoners through UPI for passing mobile, drugs to them, say police
Police have arrested two assistant jail superintendents of Ludhiana Central Jail for allegedly supplying mobile phones and contraband to inmates in exchange of money.
According to police, the jail officials were receiving money from kin of inmates through UPI.
The arrested jail officials have been identified as assistant superintendents Gagandeep Sharma and Satnam Singh, who remained in the news for recovering mobile phones and contrabands from inmates.
Gagandeep and Satnam’s involvement in the case came to light around six days ago when the Division number 7 police lodged an FIR against four jail inmates Ashu Arora, Sahil Jindal, Ram Ratan and Mukhtiar Singh and their two aides, including Dilpreet Singh of Sarhali village of Tarn Taran and Mandeep Kaur of Sasrali Kalan village of Tarn Taran for smuggling mobile phones and drugs inside the prison on January 17. Mandeep is wife of Mukhtiar Singh.
Deputy commissioner of police (DCP, rural) Jaskiranjit Singh Teja said that they found that the jail inmates used to procure contraband and mobile phones through Dilpreet and Mandeep.
“Dilpreet and Mandeep used to handover mobile phones and contraband to assistant jail superintendents Gagandeep Sharma and Satnam Singh, who further used to supply the same to inmates in exchange of money,” the DCP said.
“The police found that the accused jail officials used to receive payments through UPI. The police on Monday arrested the duo,” he added.
Earlier, a case under sections 52 A (1) of Prison Act, Section 21 of the NDPS and sections 120B and 34 of the IPC was lodged against the accused at Division number 7 police station. After the arrest of two jail officials, the police added sections of Prevention of Corruption Act also in the FIR.
Further, the DCP added that more arrests are expected in the case. The police will seize the mobile phones of the accused jail officials as proof of UPI transactions, he added.
Earlier on October 5, a warder at the Borstal Jail in Ludhiana was apprehended for accepting bribes in cash and through UPI system from inmates and their relatives in return of providing drugs and other contrabands. The accused, identified as Ankit Kumar, hailing from Bishanpura in Fazilka, was subsequently arrested after an FIR filed against him by the Division Number 7 police.
