Prison food theft: Whistle-blower implicated in robbery

Prisons DIG questions Adiala Jail officials in embezzlement of rations from warehouse

RAWALPINDI: The whistle-blower in Adiala Jail food scam has been implicated in a robbery case compelling him to go into hiding while requesting Rawalpindi chief police officer to provide him protection. “I spent the night hiding in a dark corner outside my home,” Javed Iqbal, who made the video of food supplies being smuggled out of the prison, told Daily Express.



“Police raided my house to arrest me in a false case because I have exposed the people who steal food meant for prisoners,” he said. Iqbal also did not show up today before the inquiry committee set up by Prisons IG Mirza Shahid Saleem Baig. DIG Jails Naveed Rauf was at the Adiala Jail today to initiate an inquiry against video showing theft of food supplies from the prison warehouse.

DIG Rauf questioned officials concerned with food and rations warehouse and also asked about the CCTV footage record.

However, after the video showing the theft surfaced last night, the driver of a jail contractor reported to the authorities that Javed Iqbal including two unknown men intercepted him at Adiala police checkpoint and escaped after robbing Rs2.2 million from the vehicle’s dashboard on gunpoint.



Police spokesperson told Daily Express that the jail clerk Javed Iqbal had submitted a request after which CPO Rawalpindi has ordered SHO Saddar to conduct an inquiry. As per SHO Inspector Malikullah Yar, investigations are being made against the complaint of last night’s robbery that targeted the driver for jail’s contractor.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2018.