SHILLONG: The current DG (civil defence and home guards) Kulbir Krishan said that before he took over as DG (prisons) on May 19, 2009, the plan to effect a jail break was already hatched by Fullmoon Dhar and others.
It was on May 31 that year that Dhar had led a gang of six others to flee from jail.
A magisterial report and another departmental inquiry had suggested that money reached the hands of Dhar since January 2009. Liquor and weapons were also smuggled into the jail
“It is known that the all preparations were completed by the gang before I took over as DG (prisons) and it is a fact that many jail staff was involved ” he said.
The Judicial Inquiry report had blamed Krishan for shirking responsibility.
Krishan, however, said that it was on June 7, 2009 that he was promoted as DG (prisons) from the post of Additional DG (prisons).
The official said that when he was the DG (prisons), since June 2009 till June 2013 there was not a single case of jail break, which according to him speaks for itself.
On the observation of the Commission that the DG (prisons) did not depose before the Commission , Krishan said he was not provided with a lawyer despite more than a dozen reminders to the Government.
“Advocate KTS Tulsi only represented Home (police) and not the jail department”, Krishan said
According to Krishan, the prison department was never given an opportunity to be heard as the prison officials were not asked to file an affidavit.
“The affidavit was filed by former home secretary B. Dhar as asked by then DGP Anil Pradhan and in the affidavit, only the achievement of the police was highlighted”, Krishan said.