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Karamjit Singh, a 28-year-old prisoner in Punjab's Barnala district, has accused the jail superintendent of torture and branding the word 'aatwadi' ('terrorist' in Punjabi) on his back.
The jail superintendent, Balbir Singh, has denied all charges, and dismissed Karamjit Singh as a "repeat offender who has a habit of sharing concocted stories."
The prisoner made the allegation at a court in Mansa district, where a case filed under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act was being heard.
Deputy CM Randhawa has ordered the police to conduct a thorough inquiry and a medical examination of the prisoner. DIG Ferozepur, Tajinder Singh Maur, has been appointed as the investigating officer.
According to TOI, Karamjit Singh, the prisoner who has made the complaint, hails from Balamgarh village in Punjab's Patiala district, and is facing nearly a dozen cases as well as a life sentence in a murder case.
Akali Dal spokesperson Manjinder Singh Sirsa has claimed that the incident shows "malicious intent of the Congress government to paint Sikhs as terrorists" and demanded the suspension of the jail superintendent.
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