Mangaluru prison, undertrail escapes from high security ward

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Mar 11, 2017:Reports are pouring in from the Mangalur district jail that a 43-year-old under trial escaped from the maximum-security district jail, in the wee hours of March 10,  Friday.

The prisoner identified as Jinnappa was facing trial in a rape case in the district Sessions Court. Jinnappa, who hails from Gardadi village in the district, was arrested in a rape case by Uppinangady police in 2015. The case was later transferred to the newly formed Dharmasthala police station, sources said.

"The undertrial was assigned the duty of assisting cooks inside the district jail and on the pretext of running errands he slipped out unnoticed in the wee hours,’’ DCP (Crime and Traffic) Sanjeev M Patil, told media. 

Parava, reportedly, scaled the main wall of the prison and escaped, officials said. While action will be initiated against the staff concerned, prison officials have lodged a complaint with the Barke police in Mangaluru, which has launched a hunt.

District Jail Superintendent V Krishnamurthy admitted that lapses in security had aided in the undertrial’s escape. 

Sources say that the undertrial Jinnappa took advantage of relaxed guidelines. There was laxity in the prison kitchen as an undertrials enjoyed the freedom of ordering food from home or nearest hotel.

Jinnappa, who was married three times, is also suspected of manipulating the trust of Karnataka Industrial Security Force and the movement of CCTV cameras in order to slip out from the barracks unnoticed, sources said. Police teams have been sent to Dharmasthala and Venoor to track him down at the earliest.

Inquiry by Belagavi Chief Superintendent DGP (Prisons Department) H N S Rao, that Belagavi Central Prisons Chief Superintendent P T Sesha, will be reaching the district jail today March 11, Saturday to conduct an inquiry. Based on the report’s recommendations, action will be taken against the erring prison staff probably.