By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Home Minister (Jails) Roshan Warjri has indicated negligence by the jail staff that led to the escape of a GNLA commander from the Tura district jail.
‘As per preliminary reports, the jail break has taken place due to the negligence of jail warders who were on duty at the main jail between 5 pm to 8 pm,” Warjri said on Sunday.
She said that around seven jail inmates from Ward No. 3 had planned to escape. “But it was due to the quick response of the other jail staff that no one else besides the GNLA commander could escape,” the Home Minister said.
Warjri informed that two of the jail warders – Sushil Ch Boorah and Elington Nongsiej – have been suspended while the service of one of the jail warders – Rajesh Kumar Balmiki who is on a temporary appointment- has been terminated.
The Home Minister also informed that police have been asked to intensify their operation to nab the GNLA commander who managed to flee.
Meanwhile, DGP (Prison) Prem Singh has stated that the security in four jails of the State would be intensified.
Talking to The Shillong Times here on Sunday, Prem Singh took strong note of the recent incidents which have occurred in jails across the State.
“We will take certain measures to strengthen security in the four jails of the State,” he asserted.
While stating that a departmental inquiry would be conducted into the incident, Singh assured of stringent action anyone those responsible for the jail break in which GNLA militant Kennedy T Sangma managed to escape.
This is not the first time that a serious breach of security has been exposed in the district jails as recently a scuffle broke out in the Shillong district jail in which many UTPs including the GNLA chairman Champion Sangma sustained injuries.
Earlier in February, jail staffs Neil Warjri (Assistant Jailor) and SS Thabah (Warder) of Williamnagar district jail were shot dead by GNLA militants in a daring attack.
In 2008, the infamous jail break took place in Shillong district jail when noted criminal Fullmoon Dhar along with seven other UTPs managed to flee from the jail.
While the rest of the absconding UTPs were re-arrested, the master mind of the jail break, Fullmoon Dhar, was shot dead by the police in Jaintia Hills.
Jinx strikes Prem Singh
Jinx has struck again for the newly appointed DG (Prisons) Prem Singh.
Every time the senior police official has been appointed as the DG (Prisons), incidents of either attack on jail or jail break have occurred.
Earlier, Singh was the DG (prisons) having taken over from his predecessor Kulbir Krishan in February this year, when suspected militants attacked the Williamnagar jail killing two jail staff.
This time also, Singh, after taking charge yet again from Krishan as the DG (Prisons) has been in the news with Saturday’s jail break in Tura involving a hardcore GNLA cadre.