india

Updated: Jun 24, 2019 20:47 IST

Police arrested the mastermind behind the escape of four prisoners from a sub-jail in Neemuch district of Madhya Pradesh, Neemuch police said on Monday.

The prisoners escaped from the sub-jail in Kanawati on the outskirts of Neemuch town in the wee hours of Sunday. Three of the escaped prisoners were convicted in connection with different crimes including rape, robbery and smuggling of narcotics, according to police.

Police are, however, yet to track down the escaped fugitives who include Nahar Singh, 20, a resident of Udaipur district in Rajasthan and Pankaj Mongia, a resident of Chittorgarh district in Rajasthan who were serving jail terms of 10 years under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, Dubelal Dhurve, 19, of Mandla in Madhya Pradesh who was sentenced to 10 years in jail for rape and Lekharam Bawri, 29, of Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh, who is an accused in a case of loot and murder.

Neemuch’s superintendent of police, Rakesh Kumar Sagar said, “The mastermind behind the crime is Vinod Dangi, a resident of Suvakheda village in Neemuch district, who had been lodged in the same jail on charges of smuggling of doda chura (poppy husk) for more than 3 months before he was released on bail from the jail on June 11.”

The SP said, “Vinod Dangi had been regularly visiting the jail since June 17. His name was entered in the jail register but sometimes it was not entered.”

He said Dangi had given some important clues during interrogation and 10 police teams had been sent to different places to track down the fugitives.

SP said, “Role of some jail personnel also came to light during investigation. An iron cutter and mobile could not have been supplied inside the jail without involvement of jail personnel in the crime. Those who are found involved in the crime will face criminal action.”

After the jail escape, director general of the jail, Sanjay Choudhary suspended five jail personnel including a jailor RK Vasunia and four jail praharis for slackness in their duties, while district collector Ajay Gangwar has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter.

The collector said, “The magisterial inquiry ordered will be conducted by an additional district magistrate (ADM). It will cover all the aspects related to the crime.”