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Burglary accused escapes from high-security Bathinda jail
The accused, Tilak Raj, alias Kaku, was found missing during the Sunday evening headcount, according to jail authorities;even 24 hours after the escape, Tilak remained untraceable
A 28-year-old man accused of burglary escaped from the high-security Bathinda Central Jail on Sunday.
The accused, Tilak Raj, alias Kaku, was found missing during the Sunday evening headcount, according to jail authorities. Even 24 hours after the escape, Tilak remained untraceable.
Bathinda senior superintendent of police (SSP) Amneet Kondal said Tilak Raj was arrested for trespassing and theft at a house in Parasram Nagar locality in Bathinda on September 18. He was produced in court and sent to judicial custody on September 21.
Denying that the accused scaled the wall to escape, prison superintendent Shivraj Singh said preliminary inquiry did not indicate involvement of any jail staff in the crime. “It appears that Tilak exploited a structural issue in the jail premises. Police were alerted immediately,” said the jail superintendent.
State authorities use the Bathinda Central Jail to house dreaded criminals, necessitating strict vigil. It also features a special “dead zone”, with no mobile phone connectivity within a 2-km radius.
Investigators said the jail had a web of surveillance cameras and footage was being scanned to watch the escapee’s movement.
SSP Kondal said a fresh case under Section 262 (resisting lawful apprehension) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prisons Act was registered against Tilak.
“Teams have been formed to nab the culprit and an investigation is underway to ascertain how he managed to escape from the jail,” she added.
