Five convicts, including four serving life imprisonment, escaped from the Buxar Central Jail in Bihar on Friday late night by scaling the prison wall.
District Magistrate Raman Kumar said that the jailbreak took place between 12 midnight and 3 AM. The Bihar government has issued high alert and cordoned off the area.
As per an Indian Express report, all five of them had feigned illness to get themselves admitted to medical ward and escaped by breaking the window in toilet area of the ward.
Initial investigation suggests that insiders may have aided their escape, reports Hindustan Times.
Iron road, pipe and ‘dhoti’ have been found at the spot from where the prisoners scaled the wall, he said.
Superintendent of Police Upendra Sharma said those who escaped included Prajit Singh hailing from Motihari, Girdhari Rai of Chapra, Sonu Pandey and Upendra Sah of Ara, all four serving life imprisonment and Sonu Singh of Brahampur, Buxar, convicted for 10 years.
The DM said that after probing the incident, responsibility would be fixed on the erring jail officials for the jail break.
The SP admitted that security has been breached and said thick fog might have helped them in escaping.
(With inputs from PTI)
(Feature image source: PTI)