Shillong: Six prisoners, including a murder convict and two murder accused escaped from Jowai district prison and correctional home in Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills after overpowering four prison staff and one armed police constable on Saturday afternoon, an official said.
The prison official said the armed police constable, who had fired in the air to scare the fleeing prisoners, was stabbed on the head with a sharp object before they made good their escape.
The injured police constable and one prison staff has been admitted at Ïalong Civil hospital.
The escapees included two murder accused – I Love You Talang and Ramesh Dkhar – who were arrested recently on charges of kidnapping and murdering two cab drivers in East Jaintia Hills district and West Jaintia Hills district, a prison official said.
The other escapees included three under-trial prisoners – Lodestar Tang, Shidorki Dkhar and Rikmenlang Lamare. Marsanki Tariang, who is convicted for murder, also broke out of the prison.
“The incident occurred at around 1.30 PM on Saturday when the six prisoners overpowered and attacked four prison staff, including head warder and one armed police constable with a sharp object,” Inspector General of Prisons, J.F.K.Marak told UNI over the phone.
Marak, who was in Jowai prison to ascertain actual facts regarding the incident., informed that the armed constable had fired one round to scare the prisoners, but they overpowered him and stabbed him on his head before escaping.
“A magisterial inquiry will be initiated to probe the incident. So far, no one has been placed under suspension, but action will be taken against the prison staff if found negligent in their duty,” the Prison official said.
This is the second jailbreak incident in Jowai district jail after a murder convict, Shiningstar Pala had escaped on June 22. Three days later, he was captured by the police with the help of his relatives.
Meanwhile, prison authorities have lodged an FIR regarding the incident, while police have launched a manhunt to nab the escapees.
