9 jail officials, doctor held in drug racket running from jail: Punjab to high court

The Punjab Police have told the high court that 10 government employees, including nine jail officials and a doctor, have been arrested in connection with a drug racket being run from the Ferozepur central jail.

The Punjab government’s law officer told the court that the matter is being investigated by IPS officer J Elanchezhian.

The submissions were made in an anticipatory bail matter in a drugs case in which in December 2023, the court found that even as FIR was registered on March 28, 2023, no questions were put to three accused with regards to the involvement of jail officials in allowing the use of phones etc. inside the jail. “... apparently every attempt was made by the investigating officer to shield the guilty jail officials,” the court had observed while seeking a report on the action taken against the jail officials.

As per a report before the high court, the accused persons were provided mobile phones and SIM cards inside the jail. The mobile phone used by an accused Raj Kumar alias Raja remained active from March 1, 2019, to March 31, 2019, at a single location of the Ferozepur central jail.

As per the call details (CDR), 38,850 calls were made from this number. Another mobile, which also remained active at this location from October 9, 2021, to February 14, 2023, had 4,582 calls. Apart from that, several other mobile numbers also remained active during this period and hundreds of calls were made from within the jail by persons involved in the drug racket, the probe by police has revealed.

Now, the court has posted the matter for further hearing on July 25 and directed the Punjab Police to file the latest status report of investigation.