Following the jail break incident in Bhopal, prisons in the State have also been alerted and asked to do audit security immediately and submit a report on that. Deputy Commissioners of all the districts and prisons’ officials have been asked to do audit and hold meetings on security of jails in their jurisdiction.
“looking at that lacunas in the security of Jharkhand jails, it has earlier been directed to the concerned Jail Superintendents, Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to do security audit, both internal and external, and submit a report on that,” said Jail IG Suman Gupta. They have also been directed to remove any shortcoming, if found, during the audit at any cost, she added.
It’s better to take preventive measures rather than reviewing the incident after it takes place, said the IG. “As external security is responsibility of the concerned DCs, they have also been directed to do audit as several incidents of jail break has taken in the past in Jharkhand while carrying the inmates to the courts,” said the Jail IG.
In addition to that, they have also been directed to regularly hold meeting on jail security, which was not being followed properly. “Until meetings are held regularly on the issue, how they will come to know what was happening inside the jails,” said the Jail IG.
When asked whether the jails in Jharkhand were also vulnerable to such incidents, the Jail IG said it could happen anywhere that is why one needs to take preventive measures to check any such occurrence in future.
The Jail officials in the State, however, were of the view that such incidents were not possible in Jharkhand as proper security measures were taken here to prevent such incidents.
“It is not possible to scale the prisons walls in Jharkhand as both sides of it have been made concrete; if anyone tries to make such attempt, he will be left with fractured leg,” said a senior official in a jail in Jharkhand requesting anonymity. Moreover, it has been ensured in every jail that the watch towers, located at each corner of it, were functional and manned with security guards round the clock loaded with INSAS rifles, added the official.
Meanwhile, Jharkhand Police have also sounded an alert to all the SPs so that any such attempt in Jharkhand could be thwarted before its taking place. “All the SPs have been asked to be on alert keeping a close eye on intelligence inputs which may lead to any such incidents in future,” said IG (Operations) and Jharkhand Police Spokesperson MS Bhatia.