Moosewala murder accused: Gangsters ‘celebrate’ killing inside prison, jail superintendent among 5 held after video surfaces

Addressing a press conference Sunday evening, Punjab police Inspector General (Headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said that Goindwal Jail superintendent Iqbal Singh Brar, Additional Superintendents of Jail Vijay Kumar and Jaspal Singh Khaira, two ASIs Harcharan Singh and Joginder Singh, head constable Surinder Singh and ASP of Jail Harish Kumar were suspended for “connivance and negligence” in the case. Gill said Brar, Vijay Kumar, Khaira, Harcharan, Joginder and Harish Kumar had been named as accused in the viral video case involving gangsters and had been arrested.

Gill said another FIR under section 66 of the Information Technology (IT) Act and sections 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence commit­ted in prosecution of common object) and 506 (Criminal intimidation) had been registered in connection with the viral video.

Gill said the action taken by the Punjab police on the directions of CM Bhagwant Mann was “an indication that such negligence will not be tolerated in any jail of the state”. The IG said it (the action taken) was “lesson for future” for other jail officials. He added that gangsters involved in the fatal clash had been segregated and sent to different jails in the State like Hoshiarpur, Patiala and Bathinda. Gill said since the gangsters who clashed with each other were all accused in “one sensational case” [of Sidhu Moosewala murder], there were “no certain inputs” that they might clash with each other. He added that after the clash, they had been segregated and sent to different jails.

As part of investigations into the case, the IG said, the gangsters would be brought on production warrant for questioning. He added that police would also probe how mobile phone entered the jail and subsequent sequence leading to filming inside the jail and making it viral on social media.

Gill said the two ASIs who were suspended and arrested were seen in the video as gangsters filmed the two bodies amid celebrating the murd ers while using expletives. Responding to a question on jammers, the IG said jammers could not prove to be much effective due to rapid changing technology from 3G to 4G to 5G. Denying reports of its cancellation, the IG said, “G20 is taking place in Amritsar. Punjab government and police are fully capable and prepared.”