Jharkhand News : More than 24 hours after three inmates escaped from the Jayaprakash Narayan Central Jail (JP Jail), police are yet to get any concrete leads. The incident has raised serious questions over the security arrangements at what is considered one of the most secure prisons in Jharkhand.
Jail Superintendent Chandrashekhar Prasad Suman said the inmates escaped by cutting the window grille of Ward No. 4 in Barrack No. 6, sometime between 1:36 am and 2:45 am. An FIR has been registered at Lohsinghna police station under IPC Section 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person lawfully apprehended).
SIT Formed, Multiple Teams Conducting Raids
On the instructions of the Hazaribagh SP, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted.
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Five police teams are carrying out raids
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Searches are underway in Dhanbad and Ranchi, while one team has been sent to Bihar
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Police have also raided the possible hideouts and houses of relatives of the absconding inmates
CCTV footage is being examined and a forensic team is analysing call detail records (CDRs). Police officials said they expect a breakthrough soon.
Action Against Jail Staff
As many as 18 jail personnel have been brought under the scanner for alleged negligence. Following preliminary inquiry, Head Wardens Harendra Mahto and Umesh Singh have been suspended, as both were on duty in the ward from where the inmates escaped.
Initial findings suggest the prisoners took advantage of darkness, fog, and a power outage during the night. Investigators believe the escape was pre-planned.
After the incident, DSP Rajendra Kumar of JAP-7 visited the jail and reviewed the security arrangements.
Notorious Criminal Among Escapees
One of the escaped inmates is notorious criminal Deva Bhuiyan, who had earlier escaped from Dhanbad Jail in 2021 and is facing several serious criminal cases.
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The second inmate, Jitendra Ravani, was serving a 22-year sentence under the POCSO Act
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The third inmate, Rahul Rajwar, was awarded life imprisonment under the POCSO Act
Police pressure has intensified to trace and arrest the fugitives at the earliest, while a comprehensive review of jail security is underway.
