GANGSTER JAGGU TESTS POSITIVE
Was brought to Batala on production warrant from Patiala jail on April 30 for questioning in ex-Akali sarpanch’s murder case; judge, court staff self-quarantine
BATALA: Gangster Jagdeep Singh, aka Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, 29, on Tuesday tested positive for Covid-19 in Batala, where he was in police custody for questioning in connection with a high-profile murder case of a former Akali sarpanch of Dhilwan village in Gurdaspur district.
Batala senior superintendent of police Opinderjit Singh said Bhagwanpuria’s swab samples were collected at the civil hospital during his medical check-up on May 2 and he tested positive.
BATALA/PATIALA:Gangster Jagdeep Singh, aka Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, 29, on Tuesday tested positive for Covid-19 in Batala, where he was in police custody for questioning in connection with a high-profile murder case of a former Akali sarpanch of Dhilwan village in Gurdaspur district.
Batala senior superintendent of police Opinderjit Singh said Bhagwanpuria’s swab samples were collected at the civil hospital during his medical check-up on May 2 and he tested positive for coronavirus.
However, he is asymptomatic, police said.
The SSP said there was no clarity on the source of infection. However, sources said Bhagwanpuria most probably got infected in Patiala jail from where he was brought on production warrant to Batala on April 30.
Civil surgeon Dr Kisan Chand said, “Police brought him for the test. We can’t say anything about the source and police are investigating.” A list of Bhagwanpuria’s direct and indirect contacts has been prepared.
On the list are the names of several police personnel, including SP, DSP-rank officers, who have been quarantined.
Their samples have also been collected for test. Bhagwanpuria was in police remand at the Civil Lines station.
“As his remand ends today, he will be produced before a court on Wednesday and isolated in the hospital as per the advice of health officials,” said the SSP.
IT’S A CONSPIRACY, ALLEGES MOTHER
Bhagwanpuria’s mother Harjit Kaur rushed to the police station and accused the cops of “hatching a conspiracy to eliminate him”. She sat on dharna outside the police station.
Terming the allegations baseless, Batala SP (headquarter) Jasbir Singh Rai said, “His report is a concern for us as well because many of our colleagues came in contact with him. So far, 40 police personnel who come in his contact have been identified.”
Harsimrandeep Kaur, the civil judge in whose court the gangster was produced twice, through a letter told her seniors that she, her parents and five staffers of her court would observe 14-day self-quarantine in interest of public health.
FACING 59 CASES
Bhagwanpuria has 59 cases of murder, robbery, dacoity and snatching against him in various police stations of Punjab.
Officials say his crime record is the worst in the state.
A native of Bhagwanpur village in Batala, Bhagwanpuria was a petty chain snatcher till 2011.
The Tarn Taran police booked him for running a heroin smuggling racket from Patiala Central Jail.
A recent dossier by the police’s Organised Crime Control Unit (OCCU) says that the jailed gangster has 33 accomplices in and outside Punjab who take orders from him.
Most of Bhagwanpuria’s accomplices are active in Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts.
PATIALA JAIL PUT ON ALERT
The Patiala central jail has been put on alert after Bhagwanpuria was detected positive for Covid-19. Health department rushed a team to the jail for contact tracing and screening of the inmates. The jail houses nearly 2,200 inmates.Bhagwanpuria was lodged in Patiala jail before he was taken by Batala police on production warrant on April 30.
Jail superintendent Karanjit Singh Sandhu said Jaggu was lodged in a separate cell since April 21. “We are monitoring the situation and even coordinating with health department for screening of high risk inmates,” he said. An official said he was separated from other inmates after a mobile phone was recovered from his possession.
“Prior to his isolation, he was staying with at least 20 inmates in one of the barracks,” an official said. Patiala civil surgeon Dr Harish Malhotra said a team of four doctors has been sent to the jail to initiate contact tracing process so that high risk inmates can be identified and quarantined.