Cracking the whip, Punjab Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Monday issued orders for placing the Patiala Central Jail superintendent Jaspal Singh under suspension.
“An enquiry was conducted into the gross negligence of duty indulged in by the Superintendent, Central Jail, Patiala in allowing meetings in an unauthorized manner on March 2, 2019, with jailed IG Paramraj Singh Umranangal who is currently lodged in Central Jail Patiala,” said Randhawa.
The Minister said that the enquiry carried out in the matter by the IG Prisons Roop Kumar yielded that no entry was made in the registers for most of the meetings which is complete violation of the jail manuals and this would not be tolerated.
Divulging more, the Minister said that during the period of suspension, Superintendent Jaspal Singh would report to the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jails.
Patiala Central Jails’ Deputy Superintendent (Maintenance) Gurcharan Singh would look after the charge of Superintendent, Central Jail, Patiala, along with his present duties.
Suspended Punjab police IG Paramraj Umranangal, accused in the unprovoked police firing at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan in October 2015, was apparently receiving special treatment in the Patiala jail.
As reported, the Jails Department has allowed two of his personal security gunmen, attached with the IG before his arrest, in the Central Jail against the Punjab Jail Manual which says that no inmate is allowed personal security and only jail guards and officials are allowed near the barracks. The manual says that no visitors are allowed near the barracks and even jail officials can access the area only while on duty.
Jail Superintendent Jaspal Singh had admitted that the IG had been given the additional security owing to the “threat perception to his life in the wake of the case in which he was arrested”.
Besides placing the superintendent under suspension, the Minister has also sought an explanation from the senior officials of Patiala central jail. Besides, the Department is also mulling to transfer Umranangal to Sangrur jail.
Other than Umranangal, Moga’s former SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma — another accused in the case of killing two Sikh protesters in the wake of the protest against sacrilege incidents — is also lodged in Patiala Central jail.