Punjab Government Takes Strong Action Against Corruption in Prisons

Significant Measures Against Corruption and Drug Networks

Chandigarh, June 28: In a decisive move to combat corruption and drug trafficking within prisons, the Punjab government announced the suspension of 25 officials, which includes three Deputy Superintendents and two Assistant Superintendents.

This action is part of a broader initiative aimed at eradicating corruption and dismantling drug networks operating behind bars.

The government stated that the decision was prompted by reports of irregularities and drug-related activities in jails, emphasizing the need to eliminate these issues.

Earlier in March, notorious gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria was transferred from the high-security Bathinda Central Jail to Silchar Jail in Assam due to suspicions that incarcerated gangsters were orchestrating drug syndicates from within Punjab's prisons.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had previously arrested Bhagwanpuria, who is also implicated in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (PIT NDPS) Act.

Bhagwanpuria, who has 128 FIRs registered against him across Punjab and other states, was initially arrested in a murder case in 2015 and has since been held in various jails in Punjab.

In the Moosewala murder case, Bhagwanpuria, along with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, was involved in the conspiracy to assassinate the singer.

However, their partnership later deteriorated. Hailing from Gurdaspur district, Bhagwanpuria is regarded as one of Punjab's most feared gangsters, second only to Bishnoi, and faces multiple charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for plotting to disrupt communal harmony in the region.

He is also facing 15 cases related to arms and drug trafficking. Following his transfer to Assam, the NCB indicated that Bhagwanpuria was moved to disrupt his established connections with international operatives in Canada, the US, and Pakistan, which were facilitating ongoing criminal activities.