Kaithu jail officer in trouble for letting DGP meet SP Negi

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 21

The jail superintendent of Kaithu Jail has landed in trouble for allegedly permitting Director General of Police SR Mardi to meet former Shimla SP DW Negi (an accused in the custodial death case) in his office reportedly on February 10. Somesh Goyal, DGP (Prisons), has sought explanation from him on how he allowed the DGP to meet the jail inmate.

“I came to know about the visit of the DGP and his meeting with Negi in Kaithu jail following which I called for an explanation from the jail superintendent as the DGP had no business to call on the accused in a case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation,” said Goyal.

Negi is one of the nine police officials accused in the custodial death case of Suraj, (one of the six accused in the Kotkhai minor rape and murder case) who was killed in the Kotkhai police station on the intervening night of July 18 and 19. The DGP had visited the Police Lines, Kaithu, on February 10 to inspect the construction work and had reportedly met Negi in the office of the jail superintendent.

Mardi said: “It was an official visit to the Police Lines, Kaithu, for the inspection of construction work on the police ground. As the jail is situated in the middle of the Police Lines, I accompanied by other officers (DIG Southern Range and SP Shimla) had a cup of tea in the office of the jail superintendent where we met Negi, who was unwell”.

“As per the jail manual, the SP, DIG and superior officers can meet prisoners as official visitors. Moreover, nothing had been hidden and the meeting took place in front of a number of officers and there is nothing wrong in enquiring about somebody’s health,” he added.