Aman Sood
Tribune News Service
Patiala, April 17
The police have booked three jail officials, including a former superintendent, assistant superintendent and head warden, posted at the Central Jail here for alleged torture of an inmate and extortion.
The three have been booked on the charges of voluntarily causing hurt to extort confession, punishment for extortion, conspiracy and corruption.
The accused, however, claimed they were being targeted as they “dealt with gangsters and inmates sternly” and had already demanded action against the complainant who faced charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
In the FIR registered at the Tripuri police station, complainant Vishal Singh, who was lodged in the jail under various charges, had alleged the three jail officials, including then Assistant Jail Superintendent Teja Singh and head warden Paramjit Singh, had allegedly tortured him.
In his complaint, Vishal, facing a 10-year jail term under various sections of the NDPS Act, had claimed he was targeted by jail officials to extort money and when he refused to do so, he was assaulted. “This was done to extort money in the name of better facilities. Despite my pleas to then jail superintendent Rajan Kapoor, the extortion continued,” he alleged in his complaint filed in 2018.
Over three and a half years after the complaint was filed, the police have now registered a case under Sections 330, 384 and 120-B of the IPC and under the Prevention of Corruption Act at the Tripuri police station.
However, the jail officials claimed on August 27, 2018, then jail officials had written to the Tripuri police station that Vishal was seen loitering on the jail premises and when the staff on duty asked him to stop for frisking, he scurried towards the sewerage manhole and threw some stuff.
“He even tried to manhandle jail officials, following which he was overpowered. Thus, the police should initiate action against the inmate and inform the jail officials,” read a letter (in possession of The Tribune) to the police station, the same day.
Further, the accused officials claimed they had been framed as they used to deal with gangsters and bad elements strictly inside the jail.
“Gangsters and drug addicts inside the jail continue to target us. We have been framed on the basis of a statement by an inmate who faces serious charges. We will approach court and CM Bhagwant Mann for justice, as otherwise it will be difficult for jail officials to run the jails under such threats,” it added.
3 jail officials booked for extortion
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