Three convicts escaped from the Kalaburagi Central Jail in Karnataka on Tuesday after allegedly scaling the prison compound wall, prompting authorities to launch a massive search operation. The escaped prisoners have been identified as Mastan alias Masha from Basavakalyan taluk, Santosh Methre from Santpur village in Aurad taluk, and Sagar Bheemaraya from Bakkachoudi village of Bidar taluk.
According to police, two of the convicts were serving life sentences in a murder case, while the third was undergoing a 20-year imprisonment term in a POCSO case.
Kalaburagi City Police Commissioner S D Sharanappa, along with senior police and jail officials, inspected the prison premises following the incident. Three special teams have been formed to trace and arrest the absconding convicts.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the prisoners escaped from Barrack No. 5 after breaking open the iron grill of the washroom. They allegedly used a ladder kept at the jail for construction work to climb the compound wall and escaped by using T-shirts and towels as makeshift ropes, Commissioner Sharanappa said. A detailed investigation into the security breach is underway, and strict action will be taken if any negligence is found on the part of jail officials, he added.
The Inspector General of Police and the Superintendent of Police, Bidar, is also monitoring the investigation. The commissioner expressed confidence that the escaped prisoners would be apprehended soon.
The police said one of the accused, who was earlier arrested in connection with a POCSO case registered at Afzalpur police station, had previously absconded before being caught.
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