VIP treatment in prison

The VIP treatment accorded to IPS officer Paramraj Singh Umranangal in the Patiala Central Jail has reaffirmed that all prisoners are equal but some are more equal than others. The Punjab government has duly suspended Jail Superintendent Jaspal Singh, but it is imperative to fix the accountability of officials at various levels in different departments. Umranangal, who has served as SSP and IG in Patiala, was recently arrested in connection with the police firing at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan in Faridkot district in October 2015.

The Jail Superintendent justified giving additional security to the police officer on the pretext of ‘threat perception’ to his life in this sensitive case. There is no denying the political and religious significance of the sacrilege and police firing incidents, which figured prominently during campaigning for the 2017 Assembly elections and are being raked up now as well in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. The series of unfortunate events is at the centre of a no-holds-barred duel between the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal. Now that the law finally seems to be taking its course, the use of bureaucratic and political clout to make things easier for a senior cop shut behind bars is a blatant violation of the Punjab Jail Manual. The premises were virtually turned into a thoroughfare as personal gunmen were allowed to enter and leave without any hassle. In another transgression, several politicians were reportedly allowed to meet the incarcerated IG but their names were not recorded in the visitor’s register.

Irregularities in the functioning of Punjab’s jails frequently come to light. The periodic seizure of drugs and mobile phones from inmates amply demonstrates the laxity or complicity of the staff. The situation worsens when influential persons are lodged in gaol. Back in April 2012, when the SAD-BJP alliance was at the helm, Akali leader Bibi Jagir Kaur had allegedly received preferential treatment in the Kapurthala Modern Jail. It was reported that cops and jail employees had even touched her feet. After the initial hullabaloo, the controversy faded into oblivion. Such misconduct should never go unpunished, no matter which party is in power.