Intel failure: 22 prisoners booked for murder of fellow jail inmate, injuring 3 others

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, July 14

In what seem to be an intelligence failure at the Kapurthala Modern Jail on Thursday, 22 inmates have been booked for the murder of one prisoner and injuring three others in a planned attack with sharp weapons. As per the police, an old gangwar/dispute between two opposite parties was the reason behind the attack.

The deceased has been identified as Simranjeet Singh, a resident of Kartarpur in Jalandhar. The injured are his fellow inmates Amanpreet Singh, Surinder Singh and Varinderpal Singh.

An FIR has been registered at the Kotwali police station against 22 persons (all jail inmates). Five iron rods and sharp weapons used in the attack have also been recovered by the police . The incident happened at 7.30 am on Thursday morning.

As per the FIR (a copy of which is with The Tribune) filed at the Kotwali thana on complaint of the Assistant Superintendent, Kapurthala Jail, Hemant Sharma, inmates of barracks No. 6,7 and 8 attacked Simranjeet Singh, alias Simar, who was lodged in Security Ward E of the Kapurthala jail. The attackers picked up a fight with jail’s phase 2 gate head warder Bikramjeet Singh and five other convicts deputed at the phase 2, joined them in order to reach Security Ward E where Simranjeet was lodged.

Armed with sharp weapons they attacked Simranjeet, lodged in jail’s barrack No. 17, ciritically injuring him. While fellow inmates Amanpreet Singh, Surinder Singh and Varinderpal Singh, lodged in the same ward, tried to protect Simranjeet from attackers but they too were attacked.

The Assistant Supeintendents, Jail, Hemant Sharma and Avtar Singh, alongwith guards and CRPF personnel reached the spot and stopped the fight.

The injured were rushed to the hospital. Simranjeet who was critical, was referred to Amritsar while the rest three were admitted to the Civil Hopital, Kapurthala. Simranjeet died during treatment at 10.56 am on Thursday.

As per the police an old rivalry between Simranjeet Singh (and his two borthers) with the attackers was the cause behind the attack. Due to the long feud, Simranjeet’s two bothers had also been shifted from the Kapurthala jail some time ago, said a senior police person.

The attackers have been identified as Vijay Kumar from Kartarpur from Jalandhar, Anu Kumar from Ludhiana, Ranjit Singh from Adampur (Jalandhar), Sajan from Rama Mandi (Jalandhar), Kamalpreet Singh from Adampur (Jalandhar), Kamaljit Singh from Hoshiarpur and Palwinder Singh from Amritsar among others.

Kapurthala Jail Superintendent Iqbal Singh Dhaliwal did not respond to repeated calls and messages.