Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Flaws in prison security” (November 30). The daring escape of six dreaded prisoners, including the self-styled leader of a Khalistani militant group, from the high-security Nabha prison in Punjab, points towards a lax security system prevailing in the country’s so-called high security prisons. This is not the first instance of a jail-break, but the growing list should be a wake-up call for the country’s security agencies and jail authorities. Only recently a major jail-break happened at Madhya Pradesh’s maximum security prison in Bhopal, where members of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) were kept on various charges. Both these jail-breaks were well-planned and executed.
These incidents bring to the fore the urgency for a review of existing safety mechanisms in jails across the country. A comprehensive special security audit of all jails must be carried out, especially where hardened criminals or terror-related undertrials are held. Issues such as shortage of advanced technology and staff shortage, must be urgently tackled.