Hoshiarpur, Jul 5: A Deputy Superintendent of Central Jail, Hoshiarpur, has been arrested in connection with the investigation into a purported viral video recorded by a gangster from inside the high-security prison, police said on Sunday.
Harbhajan Singh, posted as Deputy Superintendent at the jail, was arrested by the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Staff during the intervening night of July 4 and 5 in connection with an FIR registered at City Police Station, Hoshiarpur, on June 14.
He has been booked under relevant provisions of the Punjab Prisons and Correctional Services Act, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police have not disclosed the specific allegations or evidence that led to his arrest.
The case relates to a purported video posted on social media by Manpreet Singh alias Manna, a resident of Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district, who is currently lodged in Central Jail, Hoshiarpur.
In the video, Manpreet alleged harassment by jail staff, demands for money, and the availability of narcotics inside the prison. He also claimed that some jail personnel assaulted inmates and appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to reform the prison system and provide inmates an opportunity for rehabilitation.
Following the video’s circulation on June 14, jail authorities launched an inquiry into the allegations.
During the investigation, police recovered a SIM-less mobile phone from Manpreet Singh’s possession inside the jail.
The incident sparked a political controversy, with opposition parties questioning the functioning of the prison administration and how an inmate in a high-security jail managed to record and circulate a video from inside the facility. (Agencies)
