Hoshiarpur | Updated: July 5, 2026
A Deputy Superintendent posted at the Central Jail in Hoshiarpur has been arrested in connection with the investigation into a purported viral video recorded by a gangster from inside the prison.
Police said Harbhajan Singh, who was serving as deputy superintendent at the jail, was arrested by the Crime Investigation Agency staff during the intervening night of July 4 and 5.
The arrest was made in connection with an FIR registered at City Police Station, Hoshiarpur, on June 14.
According to police, Harbhajan Singh has been booked under relevant provisions of the Punjab Prisons and Correctional Services Act, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police have not yet disclosed the specific allegations or evidence that led to the arrest of the jail official.
The case is linked to a purported video of Manpreet Singh alias Manna, a resident of Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district, who is lodged in Central Jail, Hoshiarpur.
The video surfaced on social media on June 14.
In the video, Manpreet allegedly accused jail staff of harassment and demands for money and claimed that narcotics were available inside the prison.
He also alleged that some jail personnel assaulted inmates and appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to bring reforms in prisons and give inmates a chance to improve their lives.
Following the circulation of the video, jail authorities started an inquiry into the allegations.
During the investigation, police said a SIM-less mobile phone was recovered from Manpreet Singh’s possession inside the jail.
The viral video also triggered a political controversy, with opposition leaders questioning the functioning of the jail administration.
They also raised questions over how a gangster lodged inside a high-security prison was able to record and circulate such a video.
Police said further investigation in the case is underway.
