The official capacity of Jehanabad jail was 140 inmates. An employee of the jail said in July this year about five inmates fled the jail. “Even after that, the security was not stepped up”, he said.
It was also learnt that the post of Jail Superintendent in Jehanabad has been vacant for the past six months and at present Deputy Magistrate Debendra Dard was functioning as acting Jail Superintendent.
Sources disclosed that recently, there were clashes between jail inmates and jail wardens in protest against the alleged sub-human conditions in the jail.
It was learnt that apart from the three central jails, Beur, Buxar and Bhagalpur, a majority of jails and sub-jails in Bihar had poor infrastructural facilities.
Against the poor treatment meted out to inmates, the jail authorities, however, turned a blind eye in the past when VIP prisoners used to attend “Aam Darbar” in the jails using extra facilities.
It may be noted that the court in the recent past shifted Pappu Yadav from Buxar jail to Tihar Jail on charges of violating jail rules allegedly in connivance with some jail officials.
The SP of Bhagalpur, after Shahabuddin was lodged in Bhagalpur jail following his arrest in Delhi recently, said the controversial RJD MP would not be allowed to enjoy any extra facility there like in the past in Siwan Jail.
The sources alleged that the use of mobile phones in the jail also posed a threat to the security in the compound as it paved free exchange of information between inmates and outsiders.
Police officials in Jehanabad were reportedly probing whether mobile phone was used before the Naxalite operation yesterday in view of such fool-proof and coordinated attack by Maoists.
