20 inmates escape from Rawalakot jail

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20 inmates escape from Rawalakot jail​

NNI

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RAWALAKOT: At least 20 inmates escaped from Rawalakot District Poonch Jail after taking the police personnel hostage.

As per details, the police officials stated the prisoners opened fire on cops, injuring one inmate who was arrested and succumbed later.

According to police, the escaped prisoners include dangerous criminals, according to police. A shootout exchange occurred between police and prisoners on the outskirts of the city, and a search operation is underway.

The escapees reportedly overpowered a policeman at gunpoint before engaging in a shootout with police.

The situation escalated as the most dangerous among the fugitives, including death row inmates, managed to flee. In response, authorities have heightened security across the district and cordoned off the city of Rawalakot.

The police are working to track down the fugitives and restore order in the area. The police have released a list of the escaped prisoners and a heavy contingent has been deployed in the area.

A search operation is underway to recapture the fleeing inmates, SSP Rawalakot said.

According to police, the deceased prisoner identified as Khayyam was arrested on drug-related charges.

The district jail staff has been taken into custody, and an investigation is underway.

In a separate incident, several inmates escaped the prison in Balochistan’s Chaman after overpowering guards when they were allowed out of cells for Fajr prayers.

The incident unfolded as the inmates of barrack No. 4 were being led out for prayers. Seizing a moment of opportunity, the prisoners launched a sudden and coordinated attack on the prison guards, overpowering them and taking control of the situation.

Sources within the prison reported that many of the prisoners involved in serious criminal cases, including murder and other heinous crimes, had been housed in barrack No. 4.

The prison authorities revealed that one inmate was killed in the ensuing retaliatory gunfire by the police. Two others sustained injuries during the clash and are currently receiving medical treatment.

 

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QUETTA / MUZAFFARABAD: A second jailbreak in as many days resulted in the escape of three under-trial prisoners from a sub-jail in Balochistan’s central town of Duki, 200km from Quetta.

Earlier on Sunday, 19 inmates, including six on death row, escaped from a prison in Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, with one of them succumbing to injuries sustained during the daring endeavour.

According to Duki police station SHO Jalil Ahmed Marri, the three prisoners allegedly involved in heinous crimes, including robberies and murder, escaped the Duki prison after breaking a washroom ventilator.

Mr Marri added that 13 under-trial prisoners kept in the sub-jail of Duki are allowed to use the washroom inside the premises in the morning, during which the three escaped.

Search parties yet to locate 18 criminals who escaped from AJK’s Poonch jail

He added that a search operation has been launched to locate the prisoners, who have been identified as Asmatullah, Abdul Kabir and Muhammad Sadiq.

The three have been booked in an FIR, along with the prison warden and two cops posted to monitor the inmates.

The three policemen, including Warden Gul Khan, Head Constable Abdul Ghani and Constable Ismail Marri, have been booked for negligence and dereliction of duty, which resulted in the escape, Mr Marri added.

Balochistan’s inspector general of prisons has taken notice of the incident and ordered a probe.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2024

 

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No trace of Poonch escapees

In Azad Kashmir, security agencies were unsuccessful, until late Monday night, in hunting down any of the 18 escaped inmates despite an extensive search operation and announcement of reward for information.

The region’s police chief, Rana Abdul Jabbar, told Dawn that search teams were utilising all available resources to arrest the escaped prisoners.

Poonch DIG Shehryar Sikander is leading the operation, with five SPs as well as support from the army and anti-terrorism force, IG Jabbar added.

Additionally, drones are also being used to scan forests, he said.

The IGP said that the names of all escapees have been added to the Provisional National Information List to prevent them from flying abroad.

The region’s government has also announced a reward of Rs3-10 million for information leading to the capture of the escaped prisoners, the IGP said.

According to the sources, the AJK home department had also shared the data of escaped prisoners with federal and provincial governments for help.

Also on Monday, Khawaja Sanaullah Dar, the superintendent of district jail in neighbouring Bagh, assumed the additional charge of Rawalakot district jail superintendent. His predecessor, superintendent Zaheer Kiani, has been suspended for dereliction of duty.

According to sources, there were no security cameras inside the jail, and inmates were allowed to meet visitors on a daily basis in violation of prison regulations.

The committee formed to probe the incident has also visited the jail and recorded statements of several inmates as well as the prison officials.

 

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Editorial: ​

Back-to-back jailbreaks do not inspire confidence in law enforcers’ capabilities​

If those convicted of murder, rape or terrorism are able to break free and return to the streets, it will not reflect well on the competence of our criminal justice system.