CHANDIGARH, Dec 2: With the allowing of application of Vishwa Mitter Bhalla, a retired under secretary of Punjab Govt, to become an intervener co-petitioner, a new dimension has been added to the public interest writ petition filed by Punjab and Consumers Welfare Front (Regd) Banur and Trilochan Singh, a prisoner lodged in central jail, Patiala pending in the Punjab & Haryana High Court.The petition had alleged that there was a racket in medical certificates flourishing in the Patiala Central Jail to enable certain prisoners to remain outside the prison and stay admitted in Rajindera Hospital.Bhalla, in his application, has alleged that the jail authorities have perpetrated a scam in the purchase of medicines worth about Rs 75 lakh for these prisoners and the expenditure on medicines per prisoner, per day has exceeded the expenditure on food per prisoner, per day. It has further been averred in the application that the jail department authorities have committed a more serious irregularity in the purchase of unrequired medicines worth crores from two firms which were not approved for this purpose.Bhalla has further alleged that expired medicines were being dispensed to the prisoners and such expired medicines worth Rs 2,32,625 were detected at the central jail by the district & sessions judge, Jalandhar.The division bench comprising Justices J L Gupta and N C Khichi while allowing the prayer of Bhalla to become co-petitioner, has issued notice to the respondents returnable on December 7.
