BHUBANESWAR/BALANGIR: In a major security lapse, two under-trial prisoners (UTPs) arrested on charges of murder escaped from Titlagarh sub-jail on Saturday night.
The two inmates Sumit Bihari and Sobhaban Rana were lodged in the jail since the last two and five years respectively.
Sources said the duo had basic computer knowledge and jail officials were engaging them to operate computers for data entry in return of a meagre remuneration. While operating the computers, the UTPs had access to the CCTV camera display screen which was in the same room.
As construction work was underway on the jail premises, officials had kept a ladder in a locked room. The duo possibly found out the place where the keys of the room were kept through the CCTV display screen.
At around 9 pm on Saturday, one of them left the ward on the pretext of going to the toilet. Soon after, the other also left on the pretext of giving a mosquito coil to an inmate. The duo opened the room, took out the ladder and used it to scale the prison’s 40-ft high wall.
Jail officials suspect the UTPs may have been assisted by some outsiders and used a rope as it was not possible to escape with only a ladder.
Following the escape of the UTPs, a complaint was lodged in Titlagarh police station. Basing on the complaint, police conducted raids at various places in Balangir and neighbouring districts on Sunday.
Sources said police are investigating whether Bihari and Rana received any support from outside to flee. The role of jail officials in the incident is also being probed.
Balangir SP Khilari Rishikesh D said three teams have been formed under the supervision of Titlagarh SDPO to trace and nab the absconding UTPs. Efforts are underway to capture them soon.
