Two wardens, home guard arrested

Jalandhar divisional commissioner starts probe; escapees still untraceable

AMRITSAR : Two wardens and a home guard were arrested on Monday in connection with the escape by three under-trials from the high-security Amritsar Central jail on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

Those arrested have been identified as wardens Samsher Singh and Dhir Singh, and home guard Kashmir Singh.

On Sunday, seven officials — two assistant jail superintendents, four wardens and a home guard — posted in the jail were suspended.

According to the jail officials, Samsher and Dhir were on duty at Block-2 of the jail, while Kashmir was ‘deployed’ at Tower 10 which is near the spot from where the inmates scaled the wall. “We have arrested two wardens and the home guard,” said deputy commissioner of police (Dcp-investigation) Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar.

Jalandhar divisional commissioner B Purushartha and additional director general of police (jails) PK Sinha started the probe.

On Monday, Purushartha inspected the jail premises. “We will conclude the probe within a month,” said Purushartha. Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh had ordered the magisterial inquiry.

Meanwhile, there was no trace of the three escapees, identified as Vishal Kumar, a rape accused; Gurpreet Singh and Jarnail Singh (both brothers), accused of theft and dacoity.

Deputy commissioner of police Bhullar said hunt was still on to nab the accused.

According to sources, police teams raided their houses at their native villages in Tarn Taran and Amritsar.

Sources from the jail said the accused seem to have removed the bricks from the barrack wall in a gradual manner but the jail staff failed to detect it.

The Amritsar jail has grabbed the headlines for the wrong reasons since Punjab police busted a narco-terror module with the arrest of Army Naik Rahul Chauhan of Haryana, Dharminder Singh of Dhanoa Khurd village in Amritsar, and Bakar Singh of Kalas village in Tarn Taran district last September.

Police had also claimed to have seized two highly sophisticated Chinese-made drones, two walkie talkie sets, ₹6.2 lakh in cash, believed to be proceeds of drugs, and the magazine of an INSAS Rifle at the instances of the accused.

SOURCES FROM JAIL SAID THE ACCUSED

SEEM TO HAVE REMOVED BRICKS FROM THE BARRACK WALL

OVER TIME; JAIL STAFF FAILED TO DETECT IT