A warden at Modern Kapurthala Jail was arrested on Monday while trying to smuggle drugs into the jail on Sunday night.
As per the information, the accused cop identified as Bhupinder Singh was frisked by the jail staff when he reached the jail to join his duty. The jail officials said that the cop’s unwillingness on frisking made the security staff suspicious.
As per the jail authorities, the warden was to supply the drugs to an inmate Roshan Singh, who was also booked.
The jail staff found 45gm intoxicant powder hidden in his shoes after he was checked, said assistant superintendent of jail Sarabjit Singh.
Superintendent of jail Surinderpal Khanna said that the accused has been handed over to police. He said the department has suspended the cop, who has been serving as a warden in the jail for past several years.
“I have launched a department inquiry to thoroughly probe the matter and to check the involvement of any other official in this case,” Khanna said.
The jail superintendent said that he has also recommended the higher authorities to dismiss the erring cop.
Station house officer (SHO) Hargurdev Singh of Kotwali police station, where the accused was booked, said that the police will investigate the warden’s role in providing intoxicating pills to inmates. The police will also verify his role in previous such recoveries in the jail, he said.
{{/usCountry}}Station house officer (SHO) Hargurdev Singh of Kotwali police station, where the accused was booked, said that the police will investigate the warden’s role in providing intoxicating pills to inmates. The police will also verify his role in previous such recoveries in the jail, he said.
{{/usCountry}}Interestingly, an Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) centre was opened in the jail to treat and rehabilitate drug addicts on Sunday by the state government.
The arrest of jail warden with intoxicating pills has raised eyebrows on the security of the jail. Despite the prison authorities’ claims of having strict security arrangements in place, the incidents of recovery of cellphones and other objectionable items have been going on unabated over the past several years in the jail premises.
Last month, the jail authorities had recovered five mobiles, some SIM cards, mobile batteries and an internet dongle from four inmates.
As per the FIR record at Kotwali police station, as many as 48 mobiles were recovered in the jail in 2013; 70 in 2014; 75 in 2015; 82 in 2016 while over 85 cell phones were recovered in 2017, besides the seizure of SIM cards and chargers. This year, around 40 mobile phones have been recovered by the staff so far.