Four prisons officials suspended for negligence after inmate’s murder inside jail

Four prison officials in Faridabad were suspended after an undertrial terror suspect was murdered by a fellow inmate in a high-security ward.

Four prison officials at the Neemka district jail in Faridabad have been suspended for negligence after an undertrial terror suspect Abdul Rehman was murdered by a fellow inmate inside a high-security ward on Monday, Haryana prison department officials said on Friday.

Officials said, the warder and the head warder were suspended immediately on the day of the incident.

Officials said, the warder and the head warder were suspended immediately on the day of the incident.

Director General (DG) of Prisons Alok Mittal told HT that Jail Superintendent Harinder Singh and Deputy Superintendent Sachin Kaushik were suspended on Thursday for their negligence.

“A departmental inquiry is ongoing, and a senior officer from the prisons headquarters has been deputed at the Neemka jail who is expected to submit a detailed report on the incident by next week,” said DG Mittal, adding Hisar central jail superintendent Sanjay Bangar has been given additional charge of the Neemka jail.

DG Mittal carried out an inspection of the jail on Wednesday and said that a judicial inquiry along with a police investigation is going on as per the law.

“On basis of the findings of inquiries, further action will be taken to ensure that no such untoward incident can take place inside prisons,” said DG Mittal.

The deceased Abdul Rehman, 20, from Milkipur in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, was bludgeoned to death by being hit repeatedly in the head with a sharp piece of stone. The accused, also an inmate, Arun Chaudhary alias Abbu Jatt, 24, from RS Pura, Jammu and Kashmir, had sneaked the stone inside the high security ward between 1am and 2am on Monday. A third inmate Mohammad Shoiab Riyaz, 23, of Shopian, also from J&K, raised an alarm after which prison officers reached and provided medical aid to Rehman but he died on the spot.

Police said that Rehman and Chaudhary had a heated argument days before the murder which stemmed from the incident.

According to officials, Rehman was arrested with two military grade hand grenades from Pali, Faridabad in a joint operation by Gujarat ATS, Haryana STF, and the Intelligence Bureau based on input that he was planning a terror attack on the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

He was facing trial in a case and was shifted to the high security ward a fortnight before the incident. Rehman along with Chaudhary and Riyaz, was charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Chaudhary and Riyaz were facing criminal cases in J&K and were shifted to Faridabad jail on court orders.