Hoshiarpur, July 5: The ongoing probe into security breaches at the Hoshiarpur Central Jail led to the arrest of its Deputy Superintendent, Harbhajan Singh, by the Crime Investigation Agency early Sunday morning. The enforcement action comes weeks after a prominent inmate managed to record and upload a detailed video highlighting alleged illicit operations, illegal financial demands, and narcotics access within the high-security compound. The state government ordered an immediate multi-agency investigation into the facility’s administration after the clip generated significant public debate.
The primary suspect has been charged under multiple statutory frameworks, including anti-narcotics laws and prison regulations, as investigators map out how specialized electronic devices were smuggled into the barracks. Search operations conducted inside the prison blocks shortly after the video surfaced resulted in the seizure of a digital communication device from the inmate, Manpreet Singh alias Manna. The state prison department has placed several staffers under watch to determine if wider collusion existed.
“The video triggered a political row, with opposition leaders questioning the functioning of the jail administration,” a district security official asserted while discussing the impact of the leak. He declared that institutional oversight is being tightened to prevent inmates from accessing external networks. “Harbhajan Singh, posted as Deputy Superintendent at the Central Jail, was arrested by the CIA Staff during the intervening night of July 4 and 5.”
The video message included direct allegations that a segment of the prison staff regularly extorted money from families and permitted the trade of prohibited substances inside the cells. The inmate, who is currently facing trial for separate organized crime offenses, claimed that conditions inside the jail counteracted state rehabilitation policies.
“He appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to undertake reforms in jails and provide inmates an opportunity to improve their lives,” an administrative supervisor maintained when reviewing the prisoner’s statements. He asserted that the police department will maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward any official found compromising state security protocols. “The police, however, did not immediately disclose the specific allegations or evidence that led to the arrest.”
