Committee to investigate Sabarmati jail tunnel case

Ahmedabad: A three-member committee would probe the alleged attempt by Ahmedabad serial blasts accused to dig a tunnel inside Sabarmati Central Jail.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) S K Nanda told PTI that the three-member state-level committee, comprising officials from police administration, general administration and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), will look into the various reports submitted till now and study suggestions therein.

“Reports have been submitted by jail administration, police, FSL and Anti Terrorism Squad,” Nanda said.

The committee would submit a final report, which will also contain suggestions for strengthening the security inside the jail.

He said there was no collusion between the 14 under-trials who were digging the tunnel and the jail officials, but there was laxity and negligence.

“The committee will probe the level of negligence, factors leading to negligence and provide suggestions regarding how these factors can be obliterated,” he said.

Meanwhile, another jail official has been suspended for negligence. “Jailor D H Vankar has also been suspended for laxity,” Nanda said. Junior Jail Superintendent D K Parmar was suspended earlier.

The Detection of Crime Branch (DCB), which is probing the incident, had hinted at flawed patrolling inside the jail.

Fourteen accused of Ahmedabad serial blasts case, lodged in Sabarmati jail, were found to have dug 16.5 feet deep and 26.5 feet wide tunnel from barrack No 4, in a bid to escape. It came to light last week.

PTI