Chandigarh, January 22
The sensational escape of Jagtar Singh Hawara, Jagtar Singh Tari and Paramjit Singh Bheora — all accused in the Beant Singh assassination case — from the high-security Burail jail has come just 36 hours before a joint team of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission and the Punjab Prisons was to start an extensive survey of various prisons in the state.
Though Burail jail is under the administrative control of the Chandigarh Administration, its Jail
Superintendent, Mr D.S. Rana, is on deputation from Punjab. Two earlier incidents — at Ferozepore and Patiala — in which four jail inmates had managed to escape by scaling the high boundary walls of the prisons are being investigated before the present sensational jailbreak case was reported this morning.
Though five officials, including the Deputy Superintendent of the Burail jail, have been suspended, the theory being propounded by the administration as well as the police is full of contradictions, besides being vague.
Several former police and prison officials, on condition of anonymity, spoke to The Tribune maintaining that the use of a narrow, deep tunnel on a rainy day looked improbable.
Callousness, a non-existent security and patrol system in the jail and ancient methods of keeping vigil on inmates are some of the factors responsible for the sensational escape.
“Had the jail officials been vigilant and conducted regular inspections of the barracks of the inmates, the escape would have been thwarted.
“Another pertinent point has been that why these suspects were shifted to a barrack close to the boundary wall of the jail around Divali last year. Their barrack was hardly 10 yards from the high boundary wall”.
Three cases of jail escape have made the authorities concerned review security in the prisons of the state.
Justice R.L. Anand, Chairman of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission, was to accompany the Director-General of Prisons, Mr A.P. Bhatnagar, on an inspection visit of Central Jail, Patiala, tomorrow.
“Though Justice Anand is not going tomorrow, I will visit the Patiala jail as scheduled and review security and other arrangements there. I may also visit the Nabha jail tomorrow,” said Mr Bhatnagar, holding that medieval barracks and the antiquated security set-up in the prisons was prone to such attempts.
Revealing details of the earlier attempts made in Punjab, Mr Bhatnagar said both in Ferozepore and Patiala, the escapees managed to scale the high-boundary walls of the prisons after coming out of their barracks. In the case of Ferozepore, the third man in the barrack, who had reportedly opened the lock to facilitate the escape of his mates, stayed back.
Mr Bhatnagar said that on his return from a visit to Australia, he had suggested a number of steps to improve and streamline security in all jails of the state. “We have many hardcore criminals in our prisons. Those who escaped from the Ferozepore and Patiala jails were undertrials in NDPS cases. They were capable of influencing the jail staff,” he said.
“If the jails have concrete flooring, reinforced concrete walls, electronic eyes for surveillance and a reliable system of patrolling, such incidents can be averted. It has been a shocking incident which has put a big question mark on the credibility of the entire prison management system,” Mr Bhatnagar added.
“In our new jails at Jalandhar and Amritsar, we have suggested a number of measures where besides promising better basic civic amenities to the inmates, security will be tightened,” Mr Bhatnagar said.
