The escape of two prisoners, one of whom was awaiting capital punishment, from the Poojapura Central Prison here last Monday, will be probed by a high-level three-member committee. Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radakrishnan told the Assembly on Thursday that a three-member committee consisting of Home Secretary, DGP and DGP Prisons have been asked to conduct a probe into the lapses at the Poojapura Central Prison which led to the escape of prisoners.
“The committee has been asked to submit the report within ten days. The committee will also probe into the security arrangements in all other central prisons in the state and will submit a report to the State Government in another three months,’’ he said.
Last Monday, serial murderer Jayanandan alias Ripper Jayanandan and Prakash alias Ooppan Prakash, convicted for theft, escaped from the prison.
The Home Minister also said that the strength of the police force will be increased in phased manner to meet the national average.
“An additional of 10,000 police personnel were required to meet the national average and in each year 5 per cent of the total police force will be added to the existing fleet.
More prison staff face action
Three days after the daring escape of two convicts from the Poojappura central prison, more jail staff faced disciplinary action on Thursday.
DGP (Prisons) Alexander Jacob placed under suspension six wardens and terminated from service 41 guards who were recruited on temporary basis.
Earlier, five staff, including a deputy jailor and four head wardens, were suspended and three temporary guards sacked soon after the prisoners ‘Ripper’ Jayanandan and ‘Ooppan’ Prakash escaped on the wee hours of Monday.
The officials, who faced disciplinary action on Thursday, were on duty at the cells UT - I and UT - B, where convicts awaiting death row are kept. As part of beefing up security at the prison, six head wardens and 10 wardens from other prisons were transferred to the Central Prison. Two dozen trainee wardens have also been appointed at the Central Prison for a period of two weeks, Jacob said.
The DGP has also decided to ban farming inside the prison walls as it necessitated erection of temporary shacks using poles. Jail authorities believe that fugitives might have used such poles to jump over the prison walls.
