Two undertrial prisoners escaped from Tihar Jail on Sunday after digging a tunnel. While one of them was caught soon after the jail authorities were alerted, the other suspect continues to be on the run.
The two prisoners Faizan and Javed were behind bars for robbery and were kept at jail number 7. On Saturday night, they managed to enter jail number 8 which is adjoining the boundary walls and dug through the wall to escape.
Jail authorities were alerted on Sunday morning when the duo did not respond to their roll call. Police were informed and a search operation launched.
“Faizan was found in a drain outside the jail. We are searching for the other escaped prisoner,” said a senior police officer.
The role of jail security personnel and other prisoners in helping the duo escape is being probed, the officer added.
Only two prisoners before this have successfully managed to escape from the high-security prison. One was the notorious killer Charles Sobhraj and the other being Phoolan Devi’s assassin Sher Singh Rana. Both were caught again.
Tihar Jail’s security is looked after the Tamil Nadu Special Police, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the Central Reserve Police Force.
Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung has ordered a Magisterial inquiry into the incident. A statement from the L-G office said District Magistate (South West) Ankur Garg will look into the incident and will submit his report in a week.
The focus of inquiry, the L-G office said, will include the factors and circumstances leading to the incident, to fix responsibility for the lapses and to suggest remedial measures required to be undertaken by the prison administration to prevent recurrence of such incidents. It will also comprehensively review the security set-up of Delhi prisons, the L-G office said.
“The District Magistrate may co-opt officers from various departments concerned including Delhi Prisons, Delhi Police and public works department to assist him in the inquiry,” the L-G office said.
