Prisoner branded 'gangster' with iron rod; SP claims frame-up bid

Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, August 18

A day after a prisoner, Tarsem Singh of Mirzapur village in Kapurthala, accused jail officials of branding him as a criminal by getting the word “gangster” scribbled on his back using a hot iron rod, an FIR was registered against him for criminal conspiracy.

He was booked under Section 42 of the Prisons Act on the complaint of the Central Jail authorities here.

Talking to The Tribune, Parvinder Singh, SP (Jails), said more than 15 cases under various sections of the IPC and the Arms Act had been registered against Tarsem, alias Yodha. On August 10, a medical check-up of the accused was done on his request during a court hearing. The doctors found the word “gangster” inscribed on his back.

The SP claimed an investigation was held during which the prisoner admitted that he got the inscription done by fellow inmates to implicate jail officials. A video of the prisoner showing his back with “gangster” written on it had gone viral. The family members of the prisoner blamed the jail authorities for engraving the word on his back and demanded strict action against the erring officials.

Tarsem’s father Satnam Singh alleged, “I got a call from my son on August 9, who told me that he could be eliminated. We moved an application in the Kapurthala court. The judge had to issue orders thrice to produce Tarsem in the court. I was shocked to see how mercilessly he was tortured and branded as a gangster.”

FIR against inmate

• Inmate Tarsem Singh accuses Ferozepur jail officials of branding him as ‘gangster’
• Parvinder Singh, SP (Jails), calls charge as a ‘frame-up bid’
• The FIR lodged against Tarsem under Section 42 of the Prisons Act

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