tarsem.deogan@htlive.comThe controversy began after four jail medical officers accused the superintendent, Ludhiana Central Jail, of misbehaviour. (HT File)An inquiry marked by the Punjab government into the allegations of harassment levelled by four medical officers against Ludhiana Central Jail superintendent Kulwant Singh has revealed serious friction between jail authorities and medical staff.In the orders, Bhawna Garg, principal secretary, jails, issued a strict warning to the superintendent, directing him to remain courteous towards medical staff, jail employees and inmates.At the same time, the health department has been asked to review staffing, duty rosters and medical infrastructure at Ludhiana Central Jail to ensure better and timely healthcare for inmates. The government stressed that prison healthcare must function as an effective and coordinated system to safeguard the health, dignity and lives of inmates.The controversy began after four jail medical officers accused the superintendent, Ludhiana Central Jail, of misbehaviour, harassment and using offensive language during official interactions. Taking note of the allegations, the Punjab department of jails sought an explanation from Kulwant Singh.In his reply, the superintendent denied the allegations but admitted that his language could at times be rough due to his rural background and expressed regret for any inappropriate conduct.During a personal hearing held on June 9, medical officers detailed their grievances. Dr Himanshu Gupta alleged that when he informed the superintendent about a critical hypoglycaemia case involving an inmate, the latter responded in a derogatory tone, asking why he had been called. Dr Gupta said he later sent a WhatsApp message requesting respectful communication, but received no reply.Dr Amit Arora told the inquiry that doctors currently work under constant fear of “false implication and legal action”. Referring to the earlier case of Dr Prince, who was accused of supplying drugs inside jail and was jailed before being released due to lack of evidence, he said the incident had created insecurity among medical staff.Psychiatrist Dr Arvind Goyal alleged interference in clinical decisions, claiming the superintendent had pressured him in September 2025 to start Buprenorphine treatment for all patients, despite it not being in line with approved medical protocol.According to the report, the superintendent defended himself and raised concerns over the functioning of medical officers. He presented attendance records, claiming doctors often remained in jail for only one to one-and-a-half hours during visits despite the prison housing nearly 4,500 inmates. He said that although four medical officers are posted at the central jail, only one usually handles OPD duties from 10 am to 12 noon, with no evening OPD being conducted.He also alleged that doctors frequently refer inmates to outside hospitals, increasing operational and security challenges. Defending his decision to stop medicines from being supplied by inmates’ families, Kulwant cited security concerns, stating there had been instances where banned substances were allegedly smuggled into jail disguised as medicines.The inquiry also flagged serious structural concerns. The government noted that the Ludhiana Central Jail receives only 10 minutes of telemedicine access daily and that medical arrangements in one of Punjab’s largest jails require urgent strengthening. The superintendent also informed the department that 10 inmates died in the jail between July 2025 and April 2026.