By IANS
Raipur : Chhattisgarh’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government suspended Deputy Inspector General (Jail) P.D. Verma Monday, a day after 299 inmates including Maoist rebels escaped from a prison in Dantewada district even as security was enhanced at all jails across the state.
“Chief Minister Raman Singh has taken a serious view of the mass jail breakout and decided to suspend DIG (Jail) P.D. Verma at a meeting held Monday evening,” an official told IANS.
As many as 299 of the total 377 prisoners lodged in the jail in Maoist insurgency-hit Dantewada district headquarters, Dantewada town, about 380 km south of capital Raipur, fled from the jail after a small group of jailed Maoist militants overpowered two prison guards. About 100 Maoists including 15 hardcore rebels were among the escapees.
Raman Singh had held an emergency meeting late Sunday night here and asked top police officials to plug jail security loopholes and announced a magisterial inquiry into the breakout incident.
The government also suspended five officials of the Dantewada jail including jailer K.L. Mankar with immediate effect.
Chhattisgarh has sought help from neighbouring states like Orissa, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to apprehend the escaped Maoists, who remained at large till late Monday even as police conducted a series of raids in Bastar region.
Raipur and Bilaspur central jails housing several dreaded Maoist militants were put on high alert after the incident.
State Home Minister Ramvichar Netam and Director General of Police Vishwaranjan visited the Dantewada jail Monday to boost the morale of police and paramilitary troopers deployed in the district for the counter-insurgency operation.