Cops booked for bid to smuggle tobacco into Central Jail through inmate

Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Major Singh, posted at the Ladhowal police station, was booked for his suspected involvement in trying to sneak one kg of tobacco into the Central Jail, Ludhiana.

The smuggling attempt was thwarted by jail staff on November 12. The incident occurred shortly after an arrested person, Sukhdev Singh, alias Sukha, of Bholewal Jadid under the Excise Act, entered the jail premises following a judicial remand order. Assistant Jail Superintendent Daulat Ram said during a routine search of Sukha’s belongings, jail staff found one kg of tobacco hidden inside the bag he was carrying.

On questioning, Sukha alleged that ASI Major Singh had given him the bag while going to the jail and told him to hold onto it till someone inside comes to collect it. Sukha claimed he had no knowledge of items kept inside the bag.

Officials said the ASI had previously interrogated Sukha on November 8 in a liquor smuggling case when he was arrested after 20 bottles of illicit liquor were recovered by the police and the official was assigned as the investigating officer for the case.

ADCP Vaibhav Sehgal when asked if the person to whom the ASI had sent tobacco inside the jail was identified or not, the ADCP said the police probe was on to identify the inmate who was supposed to receive the tobacco. When asked if the ASI received any monetary benefit in advance from any inmate or his aides for supplying tobacco into the jail, he said this angle was being probed. The police would also brought Sukha on a production warrant as his questioning would provide vital leads to the police.