Two notorious criminals, including a convicted murderer, escaped from Haridwar jail, according to officials on Saturday.
Following the incident, six jail staff members, including the jailer, were immediately suspended for negligence, and a thorough inquiry has been ordered.
The escape occurred on Friday night during a ‘Ramleela’ performance at the jail. Officials reported that the two escapees, Pankaj and Rajkumar, used a ladder intended for construction work to flee the premises. A search operation has been launched to apprehend them.
Officers suspended
Those suspended include Superintendent in Charge/Jailer Pyare Lal Arya, Deputy Jailer Kunwar Pal Singh, Day Head Warder Premshankar Yadav, Head Warder in Charge Vijay Pal Singh, Badirakshak In Charge of the construction site Ompal Singh, and Head Warder in Charge of the gatekeeper Nilesh Kumar. Officials stated that they were suspended due to negligence.
Detailed investigation into Haridwar Jail incident
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered a detailed investigation into the incident, with further action to follow based on the findings. The Deputy Inspector General of Prisons has been tasked with conducting the investigation and will submit a report, officials in Dehradun said.
Officials also noted that Pankaj, from Roorkee in Haridwar, was serving a life sentence for murder, while Rajkumar, an undertrial prisoner, hailed from Gonda in Uttar Pradesh.
On Saturday, Senior Superintendent of Police Pramendra Singh Doval and District Magistrate Kamendra Singh visited the jail for an inspection. A forensic team and a dog squad were called to the scene to gather evidence, they added.
