Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday spoke to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and sought for a detail report after eight terrorists of the banned group Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) escaped late on Sunday night from the Bhopal Central Jail.
In a daring jailbreak, eight SIMI terrorists escaped from the jail early this morning after killing a security guard and scaling the prison wall using bed sheets.
"The incident happened around 2 a.m. The terrorists used blankets and bed-sheets. They overpowered the two officers in charge and then opened the locks," Arvind Saxena, Superintendent of Police (SP) told ANI.
"The inmates made a rope with the help of bed sheets to jump over the walls. We have launched combing operations," he added.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Choudhary, Director General of the Bhopal Central Jail, said that security of other prisoners have been increased post the incident.
"Eight SIMI undertrials fled from the prison. During the incident they killed a guard and injured another. We have informed the local administration and police about the incident. In this regard, four officials of the jail have been suspended, including the Jail Superintendent," Choudhary told reporters.
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"The ADG Jail has been directed to probe the security lapses. The security has been increased for other prisoners now. There will also be a high level committee to probe the incident," he added.
State Home Minister Bhupendra Singh has also insisted that the escaped terrorist would be arrested at the earliest.
"We have issued an alert in the entire state. We will arrest them soon. The jail administration's negligence is responsible for this incident," Singh told ANI.
Around 2 a.m. at the Bhopal Central Jail, the terrorists tied up one guard and killed a head constable by slitting his throat with steel plate and glass.
Then they used ropes fashioned out of bedsheets to climb the boundary walls. For their escape, the prisoners chose Diwali night, when people across the country celebrate by bursting crackers.
It is not the first time that SIMI terrorists have escaped from a jail in Madhya Pradesh. In 2013 also, SIMI terrorists had a jailbreak in Khandwa, around 280 km from Bhopal, when a similar plan was used.