Two jail officials suspended

BATHINDA, Oct 12: Surinder Kumar Datta, the Superintendent of the local central jail, has placed Assistant Jail Superintendent Iqbal Sing...

BATHINDA, Oct 12: Surinder Kumar Datta, the Superintendent of the local central jail, has placed Assistant Jail Superintendent Iqbal Singh and Head Warden Baldev Singh under suspension for allegedly allowing three persons to meet Nikhil Syal, an accused in the kidnapping case of a minor girl Bunny, during the wee hours.

The official sources told the Indian Express that the action had been taken by Datta after confirming the connivance of these two senior officials of the jail in arranging a meeting between Nikhil and three anonymous persons.

According to the norms fixed by the jail authorities, nobody can meet the prisoners and those under trial after 5 p.m. under ordinary circumstances.

The sources said that Iqbal Singh holding a revolver came to the jail with three persons at around 12 p.m. on October 10 and forced the duty guards to allow them to meet Nikhil. When they denied to oblige him, he said that Datta had told him to help the three in meeting Nikhil, sources added.

After getting a clearance chit from duty guards, these three persons reportedly had a long meeting with the accused. When the duty guards brought it to the notice of Datta, the next day he denied that he had asked Iqbal Singh or any body else to arrange a meeting with Nikhil.

However, earlier Datta was reluctant to take the action against the erring employees. But the issue was taken up by the Jail Wardens8217; Association, which threatened a stir. Owing to pressure, Datta had to place both the officers under suspension. On being contacted over telephone he admitted that the action had been taken against both Iqbal Singh and Baldev Singh and he had referred the case to IG Prisons to confirm their suspension.

Nikhil, son of Rakesh Kant Syal, the proprietor of the Golden Forests, a leading finance company, was arrested by the local police when he was fleeing towards Chandigarh after kidnapping 14-year-old Bunny from the busy Bhagu road here on the evening of October 6.

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CJM P.K. Dhir had sent Nikhil to judicial custody till October 23 after his police remand for two days.