Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan may have had concerns over the security at the Central Jail in Bhopal, from where eight SIMI activists escaped and were killed in an alleged encounter on Monday.
According to an official close to Mr. Chouhan, the Chief Minister, at the two-day Collectors’ and SPs’ meeting which ended on October 27, appeared to be worried over the absence of jail authorities and had asked “where is the Prison Director-General ?”
Mr. Chouhan was told that the prison official had been operated upon and was unwell.
Thereafter, the Chief Minister specifically told Madhya Pradesh Jail Principal Secretary Vinod Semwal, who was present at the meeting, that “special thrust should be laid on the jail security,” the official said.
Earlier on October 3, then MP Jail Additional Director General (ADG) Sushovan Banerjee also issued a written direction to the Bhopal Central Jail Superintendent, which said that, “the security in the Bhopal Jail should be tightened in letter and in spirit in the wake of the disturbing developments in the country.”
The directive also said that a high alert has been sounded in the country (in wake of the Uri terror attack) and hence security should be beefed up in the local Central Jail.
When contacted, Mr. Banerjee admitted that he had issued a written direction to the Bhopal Jail Superintendent.
Now, Mr. Banerjee has been attached to the police headquarters after Monday’s incident. Sudhir Sahi has been made the MP Jail Additional Director General. — PTI
