The North News
Chandigarh, July 19
In a significant move to clamp down on organised crime, drug trafficking and gangster activity within Punjab’s prison system, the state government has promoted and deployed 18 experienced Punjab Police officers to the Jail Department. The move comes amid growing concern over the influence of gang networks operating from behind bars, and the state’s failure to keep prisons free of contraband and criminal coordination.
Among the officers reassigned are three promoted to the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG): Manmohan Kumar, Satvir Singh and Daljit Singh, all from the Punjab Police Service (PPS). They will now oversee key prisons with a mandate to enforce tighter discipline, monitor inmate activity, and dismantle illegal networks operating from inside. Five officers of Superintendent of Police (SP) rank—Ajay Raj Singh, Gaganesh Kumar, Pradeep Singh Sandhu, Mukhtiyar Rai and Simranjit Singh—have also been made Jail Superintendents, tasked with managing prison operations more effectively and ensuring higher accountability.
The government has further elevated 10 police inspectors to the position of Deputy Superintendent (Jail Grade-2). The list includes three women officers—Asha Rani, Simranpreet Kaur and Manjeet Kaur—alongside Kamaljeet Singh, Guryar Singh, Aman, Ravi Kumar, Preetinder Singh, Gurinderpal Singh and Jagdev Singh. These appointments will be spread across various prisons to strengthen local oversight and create what officials describe as a “zero tolerance environment” for illegal activities.
