Rape victim sent jail revelry clip by accused, Supdt faces probe

Chandigarh, December 23

A departmental inquiry for major penalty has been initiated against the Central Jail Superintendent, Sangrur, following forwarding of a video message by an inmate to a rape victim.

Information to this effect was furnished before a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the hearing of a suo motu or ‘court on its own motion’ case. An FIR in this matter has also been registered.

The matter has its genesis in an order passed by a Single Bench, which noticed that an inmate in Sangrur jail, who was an undertrial in the rape case registered under Section 376 of the IPC and provisions of the POCSO Act, had sent a video message to the victim.

The Bench observed that the undertrial showed his presence in the jail with music in the background and two or three boys sitting in a room with a television set. The Bench also noticed that the boys were seen eating and drinking. The video was purportedly sent from a mobile phone from the jail where the accused was lodged.

The Bench, as such, took suo motu notice on the use of mobile phones within the jail premises by inmates and on steps in place to curb the entry of ‘such prohibited items’. As the case came up for hearing before the Bench of Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Kirti Singh, the state counsel submitted on instructions from the ADGP, Prisons, that the departmental inquiry had been initiated against the Jail Superintendent and the FIR had been registered in this case.

Curb entry of ‘prohibited items’

• The matter has its genesis in an order passed by a Single Bench, which noticed that an inmate in Sangrur jail had sent a video message to a rape victim
• The Bench observed that the undertrial showed his presence in the jail with music in the background and two or three boys sitting in a room with a television set
• The Bench took suo motu notice on the use of mobile phones within the jail premises by inmates and on steps in place to curb the entry of ‘such prohibited items’