Gurugram: DSP of Bhondsi jail arrested for supplying drugs, SIM cards to inmates - Hindustan Times
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Gurugram: DSP of Bhondsi jail arrested for supplying drugs, SIM cards to inmates

Jul 23, 2020 10:43 PM IST

Gururgam: A 53-year-old deputy superintendent of police (DSP) of Bhondsi jail was arrested on Thursday for allegedly smuggling drugs and supplying SIM cards to inmates over the last two years. According to officers, 240 grams of a narcotics substance (Sulfa) and 11 SIM cards were allegedly recovered from his government accommodation.

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The police also arrested a 25-year-old peddler who allegedly visited the DSP’s house and delivered drugs and SIM cards.

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Police said the DSP is named Dharambir Chautala and the peddler is Ravi Kumar, who is from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh and lived in Faridabad on rent.

A raid was conducted by the assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Sohna at his residence on Thursday around 2.30pm.

Police commissioner K K Rao said they had received several complaints of drugs and SIM cards being supplied to inmates through jail officials, following which they formed a team and began tracking the movement of peddlers. “We have initiated a probe in this case but we suspect that he had been supplying drugs to inmates for the past two years,” he said.

According to the police, the cost of the seized drugs in the international market is pegged at Rs 50,000. The suspect would have allegedly packed it in small packets of five grams each and sold in the prison for Rs 5,000 each, they said.

“Our teams were tracking the location of Kumar and followed him through Jharsa crossing, near Sector 15. He reached Chautala’s house on the jail premises and delivered the consignment. A team that was keeping a close watch raided the house and recovered the narcotics and the SIM cards,” Rao said.

Kumar allegedly tried to escape but he was also arrested by the crime team.

In August 2014, the state government had amended the Haryana Prisons Act 1894 to control the smuggling of cell phones into prisons. As per a recent amendment, using mobile devices inside the jail premises is prohibited and anyone found in possession of such a device could get up to three years of additional jail time.

The regular confiscation of cell phones from inmates has not only baffled jail authorities but also highlighted their failure to curb instances of phones being sneaked into the compound.

Jail officials said that they conduct surprise checks regularly in the barracks to ensure no illegal activity is carried out. In February 2018, during an inspection by police officers after a fight inside the prison, 22 cellphones were found abandoned by inmates.

Preet Pal Sangwan, assistant commissioner of police (crime), said that mobile phones are often handed over to inmates by their aides during court visits, who then hide them in their socks or undergarments. There have also been cases in the past where jail officials were suspended for delivering phones to inmates. “Due to the coronavirus pandemic, court hearings are conducted through videoconferencing, following which there has been no movement of inmates and no one could sneak in any mobile phone. The suspect took advantage of the situation and was selling SIM cards at a higher price, which is under investigation,” he said.

Sangwan said cigarettes, mobile phones and drugs are sold at very high price inside the jail and that its not possible without the help of jail officials.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that Chautala had come under scanner earlier as well and on 24 June, 2017 eight mobile phones were recovered by him from the jail’s premises after information that the police will conduct raids inside the barracks, said officers.

Chautala was posted to Panchkula after the incident. He returned to Bhondsi jail on December 6, 2018.

Kumar was lodged in Bhondsi jail and was acquitted last year. He was arrested for allegedly drug peddling and supplying mobile phones in jails. Sources said the police’s investigation had corroborated that Chautala allegedly had close links with Kumar. “He used to supply drugs and SIM cards to Chautala in lieu of money and later they were sold to jail inmates,” said an official, requesting anonymity.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Leena Dhankhar has worked with Hindustan Times for five years. She has covered crime, traffic and excise. She now reports on civic issues and grievances of residents.

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