Kashimpur Jail Incident : Jail super,jailer also withdrawn

A senior jail superintendent and a jailer were withdrawn yesteday from Kashimpur Central Jail-1 for allowing an inmate to spend time with a woman at a prison officer's room. 

Superintendent Ratna Roy and jailer Nur Mohammad Mridha are among five prison employees to be withdrawn after leaked security camera footage showed a woman meeting inmate Tushar Ahmed, general manager of Hallmark Group, on January 6.

Ratna and Nur were withdrawn for the sake of investigation, said Brig Gen Mominur Rahman Mamun, inspector general of prisons. "Further steps will be taken after [we] receive the investigation reports from the probe committees," he added.

Deputy jailer Golam Saqlain, sergeant instructor Abdul Bari and assistant chief prison guard Khalilur Rahman were withdrawn earlier.

Tushar, brother-in-law of Hallmark Managing Director Tanvir Mahmud, was allowed a visitor in violation of the coronavirus restrictions.

Two committees investigating the incident have identified some of those involved from security camera footage, officials said.

In the footage, Tushar was seen walking around wearing black clothes in the area where jail officials' cabins are located shortly before a woman in purple clothes was seen entering from outside and going to the said area around 12:55pm.

The footage also showed Saqlain greeting the woman and leaving a room after the woman walked in. Saqlain came back with Tushar and after around 10 minutes, Ratna left her room and two minutes later Tushar went towards Ratna's room with the woman. Two minutes later, Tushar and the woman returned to Saqlain's room where they spent about 45 minutes.

A committee headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner Abul Kalam was formed on January 12 to investigate the matter. Another committee headed by Additional Inspector General of Prisons Col Abrar Hossain was formed on January 21.

Abrar said officials would look into whether the prison officials gave Tushar the privileges in exchange for money.