SHILLONG: 32 jailbreaks since 1989 in Meghalaya with the latest being the escape of six prisoners from Williamnagar jail, reveal the recurring crime sans preventive steps.
Sources on Monday said that the jail breaks in the past had resulted in militants re-grouping, and an example in this regard was the revival of HNLC and ANVC previously ALMA after the infamous prison break of August 8, 1995.
Top Meghalaya rebel leaders – Dilash Marak and Jerome Ch Momin of the A’chik Liberation Matgrik Army (ALMA) and HNLC leaders Cheristarfield Thangkhiew and Bobby Marwein along with two rebels of the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland escaped from Shillong jail in 1995. Dilash Marak and Jerome Momin formed ANVC in the same year. Their escape also resulted in the revival of these two groups and the spurt in violent activities for long.
However, the maximum number of prisoners escaped was in December 26, 2001 as all the 32 prisoners walked out of Williamnagar jail.
Another daring jail break in the recent memory was that of the May 31, 2009 Shillong jail break.
Seven inmates of Shillong jail led by gang leader Fullmoon Dhar effected the jail break after firing in the air in 2009, but Dhar was later shot dead while others were re-captured.
Half a dozen probes related to Shillong jail break had revealed that the jail staff and under trials were in collusion and liquor, money, cell phones and weapons were smuggled into the jail resulting in the escape of under trials.
In August 2013, self styled commander of GNLA Kennedy Sangma, who was under MPDA, escaped from Tura jail after cutting iron bars of ward No III of the jail.
He re-joined the militant group and is yet to be re-captured by the police.
Sources said that plenty of suggestions and corrective measures were given by the probe panels to increase security in prisons in State following these incidents, but in vain as there is no end to prison breaks in Meghalaya.
