By IANS
New Delhi : The central government Monday asked Chhattisgarh for a detailed report on the Maoist jailbreak in Dantewada district even as jail security across the state was tightened.
Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta spoke to state Director General of Police Vishwaranjan asking him to pay special attention to the security of jails.
As a follow up action to Sunday’s jailbreak, Chief Minister Raman Singh held an emergency meeting and asked top police officials to plug jail security loopholes. He also announced a magisterial inquiry into the incident.
Singh suspended five jail officials, including Dantewada jailer K.L. Mankar, with immediate effect. Raipur and Bilaspur central jails housing several dreaded Maoist militants have been put on high alert.
Police have launched a search for the nearly 300 people, including over 100 Maoist rebels, who escaped from the prison Sunday.
This is not the first time there has been a jailbreak of this magnitude.
In November 2005, about 1,000 armed rebels dressed in police uniform assaulted Jehanabad jail in Bihar, sparking a fierce battle with security forces as they freed more than 300 inmates.
At least four people were killed in the raid, with rebels leaving behind pamphlets saying ‘Operation Jailbreak’ was timed to commemorate the Nov 13 Russian Revolution.