Moradabad jail superintendent suspended over prison manual violation during SP delegation’s visit

Earlier on December 4, jailor Vikram Singh Yadav and deputy jailor Praveen Singh of Moradabad jail were suspended in the same matter.

The Uttar Pradesh government suspended Moradabad jail superintendent PP Singh late on Friday night for violating the jail manual by allowing several persons inside the prison at a time on December 2 when a Samajwadi Party (SP) delegation went to meet people arrested in connection with the Sambhal violence of November 24, confirmed senior officials of the prison administration and reform services on Saturday.

On December 2, a Samajwadi Party delegation visited the Moradabad jail to meet 27 people who were arrested on allegations of being involved in the Sambhal violence. (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE )

Violence had erupted in Sambhal during the second round of a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid on November 24 and claimed four lives.

Earlier on December 4, jailor Vikram Singh Yadav and deputy jailor Praveen Singh of Moradabad jail were suspended in the same matter. At the time, the report against the jail superintendent was forwarded to the state government for further action against him as he is a Group A officer.

Director general (DG) of prison administration and reform services PV Ramasastry said the state government issued an order regarding the suspension of the jail superintendent on Thursday night while it was enforced on Friday night. He said the action was taken against the Moradabad jail officials on the findings of deputy inspector general (DIG), Prisons Bareilly, Kuntal Kishore, who conducted an inquiry into the violation of the jail manual after the SP delegation’s visit.

He said the DIG mentioned in the inquiry report that provisions of the jail manual were violated by the local jail authorities who allowed entry without adopting legal procedure for meeting jail inmates.

On December 2, the Samajwadi Party delegation visited the Moradabad jail to meet 27 people who were arrested on allegations of being involved in the Sambhal violence. The delegation included former Moradabad MP ST Hasan, Thakurdwara (Moradabad) MLA Nawab Jaan Khan and Naugawan Sadat (Amroha) MLA Chaudhary Samarpal Singh

A viral video of the jail visit shows several people, along with the SP delegation entering the Moradabad jail. The SP leaders claimed that the accused were beaten up by police before being sent to jail. The party leaders promised to provide legal help to those lodged in jail in the incident.