Rawalpindi-The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Prisons Rawalpindi Region Navid Rauf visited Adiala Jail and grilled the superintendent and other officials including the contractor in an alleged ration theft case, officials sources informed on Tuesday.

Deputy Inspector General Navid Rauf launched investigation into the ration theft case following orders of IG Prisons Punjab Mirza Shahid Salim Baig.

The high ranking officer recorded statements of Superintendent Adiala Jail, his subordinates, store keeper, the warders and the contractor besides viewing the CCTV footage of the incident, sources said.

Javid Iqbal, a senior clerk stationed at Adaila Jail, on Tuesday last recorded a video which went viral on social media showing the contractors’ men while stealing inmates’ ration including rice, cooking oil/ghee, pulses and tea under the garb of waste of bread on two Suzuki pick-ups and dumping the ration in godown of Raja Mazhar, the contactor, situated opposite Gate Number 5 of jail.

The video of ration theft has drawn a swift attention of media and the IG, who ordered a detailed inquiry into scam.

 However, the superintendent in his statement has termed the video of ration theft as fake and bogus. He also wrote a letter to IG Prisons Punjab to initiate legal action against the clerk Javed Iqbal, sources mentioned.

Meanwhile, the contractor named Raja Mazhar along with his men conducted a search operation in residential colony of jail to harm the senior clerk, who, reportedly, went into hiding after exposing the biggest corruption of the contractor and other staff serving in jail.

Later on, Raja Mazhar in a bid to save his skin approached Police Station (PS) Saddar Bairooni and lodged a complaint accusing clerk Javed Iqbal and two of his unknown accomplices of storming into his godown and pilfering Rs 2.2 million on gunpoint, sources said. They also informed the City Police Officer Abbas Ahsan, nonetheless, intervened into the matter and barred the SHO from filing case against the clerk and ordered him to launch inquiry into the incident to ascertain the real facts.

On the other hand, a senior clerk named Javed Iqbal appeared before CPO and tendered an application stating that Raja Mazhar has not only been hurling threats of dire consequences but also trying to implicate him in false money theft case after he (clerk) had exposed his attempt of stealing ration of inmates under garb of waste of bread. He sought police protection from CPO. Taking action, CPO Abbas Ahsan has also forwarded the application (diary number 6500-cc) to SHO for launching inquiry in the allegations.

 IG Prisons Punjab Mirza Shahid Salim Baig did not receive the call when this correspondent tried to contact him over ration theft case in Adiala Jail.