Former Patiala deputy jail superintendent booked for 'extortion'
Karam Prakash
Patiala, June 3
The Patiala police on Friday registered an FIR against a former deputy jail superintendent for extortion. The FIR has been filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The case dates back to the time when the accused was posted at New District Jail, Nabha.
No action against then Superintendent
- The ADGP (Prisons) on June 2 is said to have written to the Patiala SSP to lodge a criminal case against Iqbal Singh Dhaliwal, the then Jail Superintendent, Nabha, and Prabhjot Singh, the then Deputy Jail Superintendent
- The ADGP citing the inquiry report of the DIG (Prisons) has presented evidence against both the officials. However, action against the Superintendent is yet to be taken
The police informed they had already registered a case against accused Prabhjot Singh for allegedly extorting Rs 2 lakh from an inmate lodged in the Nabha jail. Singh has been booked under Section 384 of the IPC and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
As per the FIR, Bhavjeet Singh, the prisoner, was shifted to New District Jail, Nabha, on May 18 from the Ropar Jail. Bhavjeet was lodged in a separate cell and was not provided proper food and water.
Palwinder Singh, the complainant and father of Bhavjeet, said his son got a skin infection, and he, therefore, asked jail officials to shift him to an ordinary barrack so as to make him comfortable. For which, the Deputy Superintendent demanded Rs 2.5 lakh, claiming “some amount would be paid to the Jail Superintendent as well”. The FIR stated that Prabhjot had allegedly taken Rs 2.5 lakh from the family members of the inmate near Punjabi University on May 20. After receiving the money, he shifted Bhavjeet to a normal barrack.
Interestingly, the complainant has alleged that the Deputy Superintendent gave his own mobile to his son Bhavjeet to make a call to his family members for money. Palwinder Singh alleged his son was asked to use +91 (which is the country code for India for the international calls) as a prefix before dialling the number.
