9 days after arrest, ‘conman’ dies mysteriously in Faridkot jail

Faridkot, December 25

Nine days after the police here had arrested a ‘conman’ and his wife for running a job scam in many districts of the state, prime accused Jagpal Singh died under mysterious circumstances in the Central Jail here today. The jail authorities and police claimed that Jagpal had died after high fluctuation in his blood pressure.

Aashwant Singh, Faridkot DSP, said that Jagpal died after sudden fluctuation in his blood pressure. He was shifted to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital immediately after his condition worsened, but he died there.

While arresting Jagpal and his wife Kuldeep Kaur of Panjgrain Kalan on December 19, the Faridkot police had accused him of giving ‘fake’ appointment letters to many job aspirants in lieu of money. The police had stumbled upon this case after a woman, Kuldeep Kaur of Thathi Bhai in Moga district, had made a complaint to Kotkapura police, accusing Jagpal Singh and his wife Madhu of defrauding her of Rs 4.5 lakh.

The arrest of Jagpal had landed owners of a tailoring shop and a printing press in Kotkapura also in trouble. The tailor had been stitching police uniforms and the owner of press printing stationery of Kotkapura police for the last many years, and Jagpal befooled them into making police uniforms and various letter pads for him.

It is alleged that he had visited the tailor and printer in police uniform and placed orders for the uniforms of constable and letter pads in the name of police officers. Both printer and tailor are also in the police custody in this cheating case.

Harjeet Singh, Faridkot SSP, said Jagpal had issued several fake appointment letters and 23 fake department stamps were seized from him. The police have also seized about 500 fake letter pads of many deputy commissioners, High Court judges, advocates, sarpanches and police officers from his possession.

To impress upon the unemployed and job aspirants, Jagpal Singh had photos with many senior political leaders and senior bureaucrats, using artificial intelligence. He was projecting himself as an inspector with bureaucratic and political connections.