In a significant development in the Hazaribag prison escape case, four more jawans of the Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) have been suspended for negligence. This action comes as three dangerous convicts, who fled the Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan Central Jail in the early hours of December 31, continue to evade capture for over 96 hours.
Security Lapses and Rising Suspensions
On Saturday, JAP commandant Avinash Kumar took strict action by suspending constables Subal Yadav, Subhash Mahto, Kartik Gorain, and Varun Sao for dereliction of duty. With this, the total number of suspensions related to the prisonbreak has risen to six, highlighting the serious security failures that facilitated the escape.
While district police officials have been reticent about the specifics of their ongoing probe, sources privy to the investigation revealed shocking details. The convicts, all serving life sentences, managed to cut through the window of their cell using a hexa blade. The very fact that inmates had access to such a cutting tool points to major lapses in the jail's security protocols and inmate monitoring systems.
A Well-Planned Escape Exploiting Systemic Failures
Highly placed sources indicated that preliminary investigations have uncovered a critical failure: no electric current was flowing through the prison's perimeter wall and security wires at the time of the escape. This crucial security measure was completely inactive, providing a clear opportunity for the inmates.
"The entire escape plan was devised keeping in mind the darkness, dense fog, and the night-time power outage," a source explained. "The trio were in a cell housing 40 inmates. This was a well-hatched conspiracy involving many." The escapees exploited a perfect storm of environmental conditions and security negligence to vanish into the night.
The Mastermind and the Hardened Fugitives
Police sources have identified Deva Bhuiyan as the mastermind behind the meticulously planned jailbreak. A resident of Loyabad in Dhanbad, Deva is a seasoned escape artist. He had previously escaped from a local police station and later from Dhanbad jail on July 29, 2021. At that time, he was awaiting trial for the rape of a minor. Notably, a Dhanbad court sentenced him to life imprisonment in absentia while he was still on the run. He was eventually rearrested in December 2024 and transferred to Hazaribag jail in March last year.
The other two escaped convicts are also hardened criminals with serious convictions. Jitendra Ravani was convicted under the POCSO Act and sentenced to 22 years in prison. During his earlier incarceration in Dhanbad jail, Ravani had attempted suicide. The third fugitive, Rahul Panjwar, was also convicted under the POCSO Act in 2024 for sexually exploiting a minor on the pretext of marriage and was serving a life term.
In their pursuit of leads, a police team visited Deva Bhuiyan's native village in Loyabad and questioned his mother. It was revealed that she had met him in the jail on December 29, just two days before the escape.
Despite the mounting pressure and the fugitives' head start, Hazaribag SP Anjani Anjan expressed confidence in the ongoing manhunt. "Police teams are working in the right direction," Anjan stated. "There will soon be a breakthrough." The search operation, now spanning multiple districts, continues as authorities race against time to recapture the three dangerous convicts.
