Two undertrial prisoners accused of murder and loot escaped from the high-security Choudwar jail in Odisha’s Cuttack district in the early hours of Friday by scaling the boundary wall, officials said. The two prisoners were identified as Raja Sahani and Chandrakant Kumar, both from Bihar. They were arrested for allegedly looting a jewellery store and murdering two people in Jajpur district in January. They were brought to the high-security prison recently and were lodged in two different high-security cells of the prison. Sources said the incident happened at around 1.30 am, adding that there were celebrations in the prison in view of the Dussehra festival. Director General (Prisons and Correctional Services) Susant Kumar Nath, who visited the prison to investigate the circumstances that led to the incident, said the two prisoners cut the iron rods of their cell using a saw and used their blankets like rope to scale the wall of the prison. A search operation has been launched to capture the prisoners, and two senior jail officials have been suspended for alleged negligence. A probe has also been launched to find out how the prisoners managed to get saws inside the cell to cut the iron rods and how it went unnoticed by the staff deployed in the ward. “Nobody will be spared for breach of security and lapses. If we find connivance of any jail officials with the two hardcore criminals, a criminal case will be lodged against them. The security of the prison is our main concern,” said DG Nath. The Cuttack police also registered a case in this regard and announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information leading to the escaped prisoners’ arrest. According to Cuttack police personnel, the two were last seen at around 3 am in the Chudakhia area of Choudwar. Police said the duo might be moving towards Bihar, Jharkhand or Bengal. The incident has raised serious concerns regarding the safety of Chowdwar jail, where several undertrials and people convicted in high-profile cases are lodged. Sources said the state government has directed a review and strengthening of security arrangements.
