Guwahati jail superintendent accused of supplying contraband to inmates; caught

Senior jail official Debokamal Borah was arrested by a team from the Basistha police station that was assigned to investigate the racket following an internal probe

A senior official of Central Jail, Guwahati, was arrested on Thursday in connection with a racket to supply drugs and other prohibited items to prison inmates for bribes, people familiar with the matter said.

The probe widened after the two personnel told investigators that they were not acting alone. (X/himantabiswa)

Police said Guwahati central jail superintendent Debokamal Borah was arrested by a team from the Basistha police station that was assigned to investigate the racket following an internal probe.

Borah was taken into custody on Thursday morning, a day after Konkan Bora and Devajit Das, two personnel of the 4th Assam Police Battalion deployed at Guwahati’s high-security prison, were arrested on charges of supplying marijuana and other intoxicants to inmates for bribes. Some narcotics were allegedly recovered from their possession at the time of their arrest.

The probe widened after the two personnel told investigators that they were not acting alone and that the jail superintendent was also allegedly involved in the racket.

“Based on their statements and other evidence collected during the probe, we moved to arrest Borah to ascertain his role in the alleged racket,” a Basistha police station officer told reporters.

Borah is being investigated for alleged irregularities in jail administration, including allowing the supply of intoxicants to inmates, accepting bribes, and allowing certain prisoners access to facilities and privileges not permitted under the jail manual.

The case originated from a formal complaint by jail authorities over the ease with which inmates were accessing contraband. An internal inquiry led to the registration of the first information report (FIR) earlier this week.

This incident follows a string of security lapses in Assam’s prisons. In February 2024, a high-profile search at Dibrugarh Central Jail led to the recovery of smartphones and electronic gadgets from the cell of Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh, resulting in the suspension of several officials.