Undertrial beaten up in Ambala jail

Tribune News Service

Ambala, July 28

Following a petition moved by the father of a murder accused lodged at the Ambala jail that his son was beaten up by jail authorities for refusing to shell out Rs 50,000, District and Sessions Judge Deepak Gupta today ordered medical examination of the undertrial and ordered the health authorities to table the report immediately.

The matter came to light, when Joginder Rana, father of Virender Rana alias Kala, who has been facing a trial after being accused of murder in 2012, moved a petition before the District and Sessions Judge alleging his son had been beaten up by the DSP and four other jail staffers on Saturday.

Joginder told the court that the DSP had been demanding a monthly amount of Rs 20,000 from them over the last few months. He said this month the DSP demanded he should be paid Rs 50,000 and when they refused, the jail staffers thrashed Virender with batons and leather belts. On hearing the petition, the judge immediately asked the jail authorities to produce Virender in court. As he was brought before the judge, he showed the injury marks reportedly inflicted upon him by the jail staffers.

The Sessions Judge ordered the concerned authorities to get a medical examination conducted at the city civil hospital and directed the health authorities to table the report as soon as possible.

The judge also told the jail authorities that he would visit the jail and look into the matter. Meanwhile, Joginder Rana’s counsel, Mannsingh Kakran said the victim had even made a video of the jail staffers receiving Rs 20,000 from him which would be taken up as evidence before the court.

On Saturday, Deputy Jail Superintendent Rajeev Vats got a criminal case registered against Virender Singh accusing him of threat to his life. However, Joginder said as his son had been beaten up badly, the criminal case was just an attempt to cover up the misdoings of the jail staff.