Gangster moved to another jail after video surfaces from inside

Gangster Arun Choudhary alias ‘Abu Jatt’ was shifted to another prison after a video of him making a statement from inside the jail surfaced on social media, an officer said on Sunday.

In the video, Choudhary, a murder accused, purportedly claimed that he bribed the jail officials to get access to a mobile phone.

A native of Khour Deonian village of RS Pura in Jammu district, the hardcore criminal, with three of his associates, was arrested after an encounter in Punjab early this year for his alleged involvement in the killing of Samba resident Akshay Sharma on December 25, 2023.

“A cognisance has been taken of the viral video of Choudhary to ascertain when it was shot and shared on social media … an FIR has also been lodged and an investigation is on,” Jail Superintendent Kathua Koushal Kumar said.

He said the jail is under strict surveillance, complete with jammers to thwart the use of mobile phones. Kumar said there have been several attempts in the past to throw mobile phones inside from adjoining areas, but all these attempts were scuttled by the police.

The murder accused was shifted to a jail outside this morning after the video showed up on social media, the officer said.

Bribed officials

• Murder accused Choudhary purportedly claimed that he bribed jail officials to get access to a mobile phone
• Choudhary, with three of his associates, was arrested after an encounter in Punjab early this year