Massive hunt in different locations going on to nab 4 remaining jail breakers, SP

Amidst statewide hunt to arrest four among six escaped inmates of Dharmanagar sub-jail, the Tripura government has suspended five officials in connection with the escape of six inmates -- five undertrial prisoners and one serving a life term.

With one more fugitive rearrested by the security forces on Thursday, so far two jail breakers were arrested while an intensive search is still underway for the third day on Friday to nab the remaining four fleeing prisoners.

Official sources said that the Inspector General (IG) of Prisons has suspended Dhananjoy Bhattacharya, Jailor, and Pallab Kanti Bhowmik, Prashikhan Jamatia, Mohammad Gedu Mia and Notan Lodh, all Warders, in connection with the jailbreak of six inmates from the Dharmanagar Sub-Jail in North Tripura district on  “Maha Nabami” (Wednesday, October 1st) morning.

Disciplinary proceedings would be taken against all five-jail staff, the official said.

While, SP of North Tripura district, Avinash Rai on Friday  said that a massive search is still underway in the suspected places for the third day day on Friday  to nab the remaining four fleeing fugitives, as two of the six inmates who escaped from the jail in the early hours of Wednesday have been apprehended.

He said that Abdul Patta, one of the six inmates who escaped from the Dharmanagar Sub-Jail at Kalikapur in North Tripura district, was apprehended on Wednesday evening from South Chandrapur under the Dharmanagar police station and on Thursday afternoon, another escaped jail inmate namely Narayan Chandra Datta of  Feni district of Bangladesh was re-arrested from Malakar Basti, Shyam Moni Para under Dharmanagar police station of North Tripura district with help of BSF jawans.

Rai said that police have also arrested one local tout (Human Trafficker) for his direct help to escape prisoners to leave the country.

It may be recalled here that six inmates -- five undertrial prisoners and one serving life imprisonment -- escaped from the Dharmanagar Sub-Jail in the early hours of Wednesday (October 1st) after assaulting a guard with sharp weapons.

The incident took place when the jail personnel brought the inmates out of their cell for breakfast and for their daily ablutions. The injured jail staff, Bedu Miah, is currently under treatment at the Dharmanagar District Hospital, and his condition is said to be stable now.

Officials said that immediately after the jailbreak, a massive search operation was launched by various teams of security forces, and the hunt for them is still on.

SP Avinash Kumar Rai also led one of the search teams. All police stations and security posts in North Tripura and adjoining Unakoti districts were alerted.

“We have also requested the Border Security Force (BSF) to maintain a strict vigil along the India-Bangladesh border so that the fleeing jail inmates cannot cross the border and several police teams are also continuously conducting search operations in all suspected locations,” said Rai.

North Tripura district shares inter-state borders with Assam and Mizoram, besides an International Border with Bangladesh.

The SP added that the exit points along Assam, Mizoram and Bangladesh have been sealed following the incident to prevent the fleeing jail inmates from leaving the state.

The fleeing undertrial prisoners are Abdul Pata, Rahim Ali, Narayan Chandra Dutta, Rosan Ali, and Nazim Uddin, while Sunil Debbarma, accused of serious crimes, including murder, has been serving life imprisonment.

Narayan Chandra Dutta is a Bangladeshi national who was earlier arrested in Tripura under the Passport and other Acts, while Abdul Pata is a resident of Nilambazar in Assam’s Sribhumi district (previously Karimganj district).

Abdul Pata was earlier arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, for his involvement in illegal drug-related cases.