warder-guard-commander-under-fire-after-tripura-inmate-breaks-jail-for-second-time

An FIR has been lodged against two individuals, including the Guard Commander of the Central Correctional Home in Tripura, for allegedly aiding a life-convicted prisoner’s escape.

 

Swarna Kr. Tripura, convicted of murder, managed to escape from the Central Correctional Home situated at Bishalgarh in Sepahijala District on Tuesday.

 

The Superintendent of the correctional home, Rakesh Chakraborty, filed the FIR with the Bishalgarh police station, suspecting the involvement of two individuals.

 

Chakraborty stated in his intimation, “They are involved in harbouring the escape of said convicted prisoner from secured jail custody.” He urged the Bishalgarh police station to initiate an effective investigation against the two jail staff members.

 

According to the FIR, Swarna Kr. Tripura, also known as Convict No. 138 of 2024, hailing from Chota Sakbari of South Tripura, was involved in Case No. ST 34 (ST/S) 2014, under Sections 302/201/120 (B) /34 of IPC.

 

His escape was reported by the on-duty gatekeeper, Jiban Jamatia, Warder, who noticed his absence on May 14 around 8 am.

 

CCTV footage revealed the unauthorized presence of Tapan Rupini in the ward where Swarna Kr. Tripura was housed, along with his assistance in opening the lockup around 8 pm on May 13.

 

Furthermore, footage captured by Swarna Kr. Tripura carrying a bag, suspected to contain jail-breaking tools, during his escape around 12:45 am on May 14.

 

Based on a preliminary assessment, the roles of Tapan Rupini, Warder, and Md. Mafiz Mia, Guard Commander of Kendriya Sansodhanagar, Tripura, was deemed suspicious.

 

According to jail sources, the accused are involved in facilitating the escape of the convicted prisoner and potentially aiding in a plan to assist the escape of other inmates.

 

Meantime, police stations across the state have been alerted, and an intensive search operation is underway to locate the convict. The Border Security Force (BSF) has also been put on high alert to prevent the convict from crossing over to neighbouring Bangladesh.

 

The Border Security Force (BSF) has also been put on high alert to prevent the convict from crossing over to neighbouring Bangladesh.

 

The same militant had escaped twice before -- from the central jail in 2016 and from the Kanchanpur sub-jail in 2022. He is affiliated with the illegal National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT). 

 

He was re-arrested in 2023 and since then he has been lodged at the central jail.

 

Sepahijala Superintendent of Police, Bogati Jagadeeswar Reddy, visited the central jail in Bishalgarh to take stock of the situation after the jailbreak.

 

There are around 650 inmates in the central jail located around 30 km from here.

 

Based out of Bangladesh, NLFT is a banned militant outfit.

 

He slipped away from the central jail in Tripura's Sepahijala district.

 

In their morning roll call on 13 May the prison officials noticed Tripura's absence. 

 

They discovered Tripura missing from the highly-secured facility. 

 

Tripura was serving a life sentence. The sentence was for his gruesome murder in Santirbazar, South Tripura.