'Mani Veer Da Budday Hai...': Inmates Cheer During Chai-Pakora Party Inside Ludhiana Jail | WATCH

Rules inside the jails of Punjab are violated often, in this instance, a video of inmates allegedly seen celebrating a birthday party inside Ludhiana Central Jail went viral on social media on Thursday.

The inmates allegedly shot the video on a mobile phone and then also proceeded to upload it on social media, raising a question on the surveillance levels inside the jail.

In the viral video, a group of inmates were seen sitting together and having an alleged feast. “Aajj sadde Mani veer da budday hai…” (It’s our brother Mani’s birthday today), the inmates can be heard saying.

Ludhiana Central Jail Video:

Shivraj Singh, Ludhiana jail superintendent, noted that the video was shot on December 21 when the inmates were celebrating the birthday of Arun Kumar alia Anil alias Mani, who is currently undertrial for a 2019 robbery case.

“They were having tea and pakora. After we got to know that they shot the video, we confiscated the cellphone the next day from Mani. An FIR was also registered against him,” Singh told Indian Express. The superintendent said the phone that they recovered from the accused was broken, due to which they could not access any data.

“After the video surfaced on social media, we identified ten other inmates and a complaint has been sent to the local police station,” Singh added.

However, the question remains as to how the inmates could access phones, mobile network and even internet connection within the jail. The jail superintendent said that at the moment, the jail does not have jammers inside. “A request has been sent to the government to get them installed,” he added.

Mani — whose birthday was being celebrated — deliberately smashed the phone into the wall and broke it before officials could confiscate it.

Following this, an FIR was registered against Mani — at the division number 7 police station — under section 52-A (1) of the Prison Act.

The Station House Officer (SHO) at the Division Number 7 station, Inspector Sukhdev Singh Brar had said that after the viral went viral, police booked the following inmates:

• Gurjant Singh alias Janta of Gobindpur of Jalanadhar
• Karanjot Singh alias Nona of New Azad Nagar of Amritsar
• Sarabjit Singh alias Sabi of Meerpur Jattan village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar
• Satkar Singh of Kotla Raike village of Moga
• Saurav Kattu of Isa Nagri of Ludhiana
• Harmandeep Singh alias Mani of Doraha
• Harwinder Singh alias Bhinda of Jalilpur of Abohar
• Didar Singh alias Gaggi of Mahilpur of Hoshiarpur
• Shivam alias Mano of Model Town of Jalandhar
• Sajanpreet Singh aliass Sajan of Patti, Sultanwind of Amritsar

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu slammed Punjab chief minister over the issue. He took to the microblogging site X and wrote, “Where are the five G jammers to sanitise jails hon jail minister @BhagwantMann that you use for you’re personal security… One man should be responsible for6 prisoners according to the jail manual…one is controlling 26 in Punjab jails, that is how understaffed you’re prisons are failed jail minister and you talk employment? Wake up janaab…”

PREVIOUS INSTANCES

December 8, 2023: Jailed Punjab Youth Congress leader Savottam Singh alias Lucky Sandhu was seen dancing at a marriage ceremony in Ludhiana after he was taken for a medical checkup to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). Two jail officers were suspended for dereliction of duty after the incident.

December 8, 2023: A drug racket operating inside the Ludhiana jail was busted where 4.5 kg heroin and Rs 1.40 lakh drug money was seized.

October 5, 2023: Ludhiana Borstal Jail keeper Ankit Kumar was booked and suspended for allegedly taking bribes from inmates to allow them to smuggle drugs, tobacco etc.

June 6, 2023: Shubham alias Ganju, an inmate undertrial in a drugs case, died inside the Ludhiana jail under mysterious circumstances.

April 2023: Inmates of the Ludhiana jail were booked for selling and buying mobiles for Rs 10,000 each.