7 cops suspended for Chhattisgarh jailbreak

The suspension of DIG (Prisons) PD Verma comes a day after 299 inmates including Maoist rebels escaped from a prison, reports Ejaz Kaiser.

A day after 298 inmates, including several hardcore Naxalites, escaped from the Dantewada district jail, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Monday suspended the Deputy Inspector General (Jail), PD Verma.

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In all, seven police officials have been suspended for negligence. Deputy Jailer BS Markam, who was earlier suspended, has been arrested. The police said cases would be registered against the suspended jail staff.

Only five of the fugitives, who overpowered guards and looted the jail armoury before escaping, have been arrested till now.State Home Minister Ramvichar Netam told HT that show cause notices have been served to Inspector General of Police (Bastar) Rajinder K. Vij and Dantewada Superintendent of Police Rahul Sharma for their failure to comply with the ministry’s instruction to ensure that at least 50 security personnel were deployed in every jail in the Naxal-affected district. “It is a serious lapse on part of the officials,” said Netam.

When asked whether any of the jail staff had connived with the inmates, he said separate magisterial and departmental inquiries have been ordered.