Probe ordered into video alleging sale of phones in jail

› Officials also want me to be their accomplice in the racket. I have been given mobile phones to sell to other inmates .... When I refused to do this job, I was threatened. AN INMATE, in the video

›

The man who shot the video is a drug smuggler. He is undergoing 14 years in jail and is out on parole. We planned to shift him. AMRIK SINGH TIBBI , Rupnagar jail superintendent

jails minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has ordered an inquiry into alleged sale of mobile phones and drugs inside Rupnagar district jail on Sunday. The move comes a day after a video, purportedly shot inside the jail premises by an inmate, went viral on social media. Additional director general of police (ADGP, prisons) PK Sinha has been asked to get an inquiry conducted.

In the video, three mobile phones have been shot as being present inside a cell, with the voice-over of an inmate claiming that senior jail officials were involved in the trade.

The voice also goes on to allege that some jail officials and an inmate are involved.

“Officials also want me to be their accomplice in the racket. I have been given mobile phones to sell to other inmates... they even have fixed rates. When I refused to do this work, I was threatened with implication in a false case and transfer to other jails. Action must be taken against these jail officials,” the voice in the video alleges.

Rupnagar jail superintendent Amrik Singh Tibbi rubbished the allegations and said that according to their inquiry, the video had been shot one-and-ahalf months ago.

“The man who shot the video is a drug smuggler. He is undergoing 14 years in jail and is currently out on parole,” Tibbi added. He claimed that he had in fact worked to stop smuggling of phones and drugs inside the jail.

On why would somebody shoot a wrong video, he claimed, “Some associates of the convict were shifted to Nabha Jail and he too was to be shifted to Patiala jail. He got wind of these plans and was upset. Thus, he shot this video to malign jail officials.”

He added that a police case had been registered and inquiry was on into the claims made in the video.