Action Taken After Gangster’s Video From Inside

Jail Went Viral; Allegations of Drug Availability and Demand for Money

Hoshiarpur, 05 July (H.S.): Hoshiarpur Police have arrested Deputy

Superintendent Harbhajan Singh in connection with the viral video case linked

to Hoshiarpur Central Jail. According to police, Harbhajan Singh was posted as

Deputy Superintendent at Central Jail, Hoshiarpur. He was arrested by the CIA

Staff during the intervening night of July 4 and 5.

The arrest was made in connection with an FIR registered

at City Police Station, Hoshiarpur, on June 14. Police said Harbhajan Singh has

been booked under relevant provisions of the Punjab Prisons and Correctional

Services Act, the NDPS Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. However, police

have not yet clarified the specific evidence or allegations that led to the

arrest of the jail official.

The case is related to a purported viral video of

Manpreet Singh alias Manna, who is lodged in Hoshiarpur Central Jail. Manpreet

Singh is a resident of Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district. His video surfaced

on social media on June 14, raising serious questions over the functioning of

the jail administration and police.

In the video, Manpreet alleged harassment by jail staff,

demand for money and availability of narcotics inside the prison. He also claimed

that some jail employees assaulted inmates. In the video, he appealed to Punjab

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to bring reforms in jails and give inmates an

opportunity to improve their lives.

After the video went viral, the jail administration

initiated an inquiry into the allegations. Police said that during the

investigation, a SIM-less mobile phone was recovered from Manpreet Singh’s

possession inside the jail.

The viral video also triggered a political controversy. Opposition leaders

questioned how a gangster lodged in a high-security prison managed to record

and circulate such a video on social media using a mobile phone. Police are

currently investigating the matter and further legal proceedings are underway.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH