Bathinda: A shocking incident has surfaced from Bathinda Central Jail, raising serious questions over prison security and the correctional system. A jail warden has been arrested for allegedly trafficking narcotics and supplying banned substances to inmates, police officials said.
In a joint operation carried out by the police and jail authorities, the accused warden was found in possession of 27 grams of heroin, 21 grams of opium and 60 banned capsules. Following the recovery, a case was registered against the accused, identified as Constable Varinder Kumar, a resident of village Khorpur in Fazilka district.
Officials said the accused was immediately arrested and suspended from service, and further legal proceedings have been initiated against him.
According to the police, Varinder Kumar was apprehended from a government quarter located inside the women’s jail premises. Investigators are yet to ascertain how long he had been involved in drug trafficking inside the prison. He has been taken on police remand and is being interrogated to identify his links with external drug smugglers and other possible accomplices.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused misused his official position and jail duties to smuggle narcotics inside the prison in exchange for money. He was allegedly in contact with outside drug traffickers and regularly supplied drugs to inmates, exploiting loopholes in the jail’s security system.
Police officials noted that this is not the first such incident, as several jail staff members in the past have also been arrested on similar charges. The accused was produced before a court, which sent him to police custody for further questioning.
Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and strict action will be taken against anyone found involved in the racket.
