LUDHIANA: The role of jail authorities in an alleged assault case of an undertrial has come under the scanner with a local court asking the jail superintendent to submit a report in the matter in 10 days.
The inmate was allegedly thrashed by three
jail officials.
Chief judicial magistrate Suresh Kumar Goyal took note of a complaint by Satish Kumar, who alleged that his brother, an accused in NDPS case, was beaten up with sticks by the jail personnel.
The court also asked the authorities to get inmate’s medical examination done.
Denying the allegations, jail officials said that the report would be submitted in compliance with the court directions within the given time.
Doraha police had arrested Sanjeev Kumar, 44, husband of Mandi Ahmedgarh-based Congress councillor, along with three others with 500g cannabis early this month. They were sent to judicial remand in Ludhiana Central Jail.
Satish Kumar alleged that when he went to meet his brother in the jail on July 9, Sanjeev narrated the entire incident to him. Sanjeev alleged that on July 8, constable Ghuman started thrashing him with sticks without any reason. Two more employees joined the constable in the assault. Following this Satish Kumar moved an application in the local court against jail officials.
Claiming that his brother has been implicated in a false case of drug peddling over political vendetta, he alleged that his brother was assaulted for the same reason in the jail.
“My brother told me that three constables demanded Rs 2,000 from him. When he refused to pay the bribe, constables
Sukhwinder Singh, Ghuman and Tarlochan Singh brutally thrashed him. After the incident, the jail superintendent did not get Sanjeev’s medical examination done, which is why we decided to approach the court,” he said.
Satish also alleged that the constables used to collect Rs 2,000 from every new inmate. “After thrashing Sanjeev, the cops forced him to give Rs 2,000 through Paytm stating that they would provide him first aid,” he further alleged.
Refuting the allegations, jail superintendent Shamsher Singh Boparai said, “Sanjeev Kumar and two other undertrials Akhtar and Putbill were lodged in the same barrack. The trio had a fight over getting space to sleep in the barrack and they thrashed each other. Following their scuffle, head warden Balwinder Singh Ghuman reached the spot and used force to control them. But he did not thrash any inmate deliberately,” he said.
Boparai said the next day he issued a show-cause notice to Ghuman, seeking explanation in six days and also changed his duty.
He said, “After receiving the notice of court, we have got the medical examination of Sanjeev Kumar done. We will submit a report within 10 days as ordered by the court.”
Brother of the undertrial also alleged that Sanjeev observed hunger strike for three days in jail as the officials did not take him for medical examination.
Representative image
