SIMI operatives' jailbreak: MP human rights commission to probe into security lapses

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) will conduct a probe into the circumstances surrounding the jailbreak and the lapses that led to the escape of prisoners which also caused the death of a jail security guard. The rights body has said that it will look into all aspects of the jailbreak, especially the laxity of the officials and how the prisoners managed to come out of the barracks and managed to get out of the high-security prison. The organisation will also look into how many recommendations of the commission made in the past, were implemented in the Bhopal Central Jail, and what lapses led to the jailbreak. [caption id=“attachment_3081712” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Police investigate the encounter site in Bhopal. PTI[/caption] A team comprising a principal secretary-level officer, an additional director general of police (ADG), registrar (law) and a deputy secretary would begin the probe, said the MPHRC in an official statement. All these officers are from different departments, but are currently posted with the rights body. The commission said that once the mandatory magisterial inquiry into the encounter is ordered, its report will be called from the collector. Also, the MPHRC has sought a report from the Bhopal police regarding the encounter in which eight SIMI operatives were killed near Acharpura on the outskirts of Bhopal. “The inspector general of police of Bhopal has been asked to give the report,” said LR Sisodia, the MPHRC spokesperson. The MPHRC alleged that the jail officials paid no attention to the recommendations and has issued fresh recommendations to the prison authorities after the jailbreak. It has recommended that all CCTV cameras should remain functional and officials must conduct surprise checks in the jails. The commission has said that vacancies in jails should be immediately filled and no such object should reach any prisoner which can be used as a weapon to inflict injury on himself or others. “The recommendations are being made to principal secretary, prisons and director general prisons. The recommendations were made earlier also, but there was no improvement, which led to the unfortunate incident. Now, we hope that the recommendations are followed," reads the MPHRC statement. The MPHRC that was earlier headed by retired Supreme Court judge or a retired high court chief justice, now has a retired IPS officer VM Kanwar as its acting head. CID inquiry likely to be ordered Though no high-level probe has been ordered into the jailbreak as yet, a CID inquiry is likely to be ordered. Sources in the police headquarters said that it would be conducted, however, there may not be any deadline for submitting its report.