Jailbreak: state slaps notices on top cops

The Chhattisgarh Government has decided to issue showcause notices to Director General Prisons Sant Kumar Paswan, Inspector General Bastar Range R K Vij and SP Dantewada Rahul Sharma asking them to explain the inadequate security arrangements at Dantewada jail, which led to 299 inmates escaping on Sunday.

Home Minister Ram Vihar Netam said officials directly or indirectly involved with the running of the jail would be held accountable for the lapse. 8220;Senior officers had been instructed to look into the security situation of Dantewada jail and the incident has established that these directives were overlooked,8221; Netam said. 8220;These officers will be asked to explain how such a major lapse occurred,8221; he added.

The Government move follows an order late on Monday night ordering suspension of DIG Prisons P D Verma for not carrying out a routine inspection of the state8217;s jails. Verma was in charge of prison security in Chhattisgarh.

Besides, Dantewada jailer V S Mankar was also arrested late on Monday night after a raid on his house. A sustained interrogation highlighted his association with several inmates. Mankar has been booked for facilitating the escape of prisoners.

Meanwhile, Dantewada district has been cordoned off and the frequency of patrolling along its borders with Orissa, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh increased to catch the fugitives.