Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): A caucus comprising of former superintendent of Central Bhairavgarh Jail Usha Raj, fake scribe Jagdish Parmar and the like were running parallel economy in the jail. She even gave a contract to Jagdish to sell tobacco, beedi, cigarette, hashish, marijuana, liquor and mutton to jail inmates on a hefty price. Getting patronised by the then jail superintendent, Jagdish was in fact in full command of jail affairs and soon got the nickname ‘super superintendent’.
Both Usha and Jagdish are presently bottled up in District Jail, Indore and Mahidpur sub-jail, respectively. They were initially found as prime accused in Rs 15 crore DPF/GPF embezzlement case that spread its branches in the Central Bhairavgarh Jail. During their 15-day police remand, two more cases of extortion from prisoners were also registered against them.
Meanwhile, a city businessman who was an under trial prisoner in the jail and was released recently, told Free Press that the caucus active in the jail had turned its affairs into hell. Jagdish also remained there for around 18 months in rape charge though he was acquitted later. When Usha Raj took charge in September 2021, he gradually earned proximity with her for being a YouTube news channel reporter.
Later, both Usha and Jagdish formed a nexus. As revealed by the source, tobacco, beedi, cigarette, hashish, marijuana, liquor and mutton brought to the jail through jail guards from outside was stopped. In fact, Jagdish got a contract of such prohibited materials at Rs 40k per day. He used to sell these items to needy prisoners through his associates. A tobacco pouch which is available in the market at Rs 5 was sold for Rs 500. Likewise, one quarter of medium range whisky which is available in the market at Rs 200 was sold for Rs 2k.
According to sources, everything was available inside the jail if one had sufficient money. The caucus was instrumental in running a telephone exchange for which Rs 100 was charged for 6 minutes. Jagdish was quite particular in searching the profiles of prisoners and new entrants and accordingly heavy money used to be minted to provide them barrack or keep them in 4x6 cells having almost no air or sunlight. Usha used to send a slip inside to treat such persons who later were dragged from barracks to cells getting beaten with slippers. Ironically, Jagdish was allowed to come inside the jail after evening hours with his mobile phone.
On being contacted, Director General, Prisons, Arvind Kumar admitted that all such things were under cognisance. ‘We have, in fact, formed a high level committee to probe the entire mess, but before they could go to the jail, the DPF-GPF scam tumbled out of the box,’ he added. According to him, they are pursuing with complaints related to granting parole in an irregular manner. Likewise, departmental inquiry has been initiated against some jail employees who are posted in the Central Jail for a long time. They will soon be shifted elsewhere, the DG said.
ASP Indrajeet Bakalwar, who is the head of SIT probing the scam, said that a case under Prevention of Corruption Act has already been registered against Usha Raj. Letters have been sent to the income tax department to do the needful, he said.
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