Guwahati, March 8 (IANS) Superintendent of Dibrugarh Central Jail, Nipen Das, has been arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Assam Prisons Act for his alleged involvement in supplying gadgets to the cell of pro-Khalistan leader and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, the police said on Friday.
Dibrugarh Superintendent of Police, Rakesh Reddy said that Nipen Das has been arrested under section 13 (1) B of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, section 75 of Assam Prisons Act, and section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Reddy on Friday said during the initial investigation, it was learned that Amritpal Singh after getting the devices, got access to Internet and his reach increased.
According to Reddy, most of the unauthorised gadgets were found inside Singh’s cell and some from other cells.
“After the recovery of gadgets, the police collected the digital evidence and registered a fresh case under which the superintendent of jail has been arrested,” he said.
Reddy said that there are jail manuals and it is different for the detainees under NSA but the jail superintendent violated the jail manual and allowed the gadgets to reach Amritpal Singh and other inmates.
Assam Director General of Police, Gyanendra Pratap Singh on February 17 revealed that several unauthorised gadgets including smartphone, spy-cam pen, pen drives, bluetooth-enabled device were found inside the cell of Dibrugarh Central Jail where Amritpal Singh and other members of Waris Punjab De are lodged.
DGP Singh wrote on ‘X’: “Jail staff searched the premises of NSA Cell, leading to recovery of smartphone with SIM, keypad phone, TV remote with keyboard, spy-cam pen, pen drives, Bluetooth headphone & speakers and smart watch which were lawfully seized.”
The DGP on February 20, visited the jail along with some senior police officers, and later also held a meeting with the top officials.
He also ordered the transfer of some of the jail staff and ordered a probe.
After several rounds of investigations, the police have arrested the jail superintendent and he is currently being questioned.
A few other officials of the Dibrugarh Central Jail were detained by the police on Friday.
“This was a major security issue and we may arrest more officials,” an investigating officer said.
Amritpal Singh along with his associates were arrested in Punjab last year under the National Security Act (NSA) and they were brought to Assam.
They are currently lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail.
–IANS
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