Four inmates escaped from Diphu jail in Assam's Karbi Anglong district, prompting Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to order a probe into the incident.
Karbi Anglong Superintendent of Police Mugdhajyoti Dev Mahanta told PTI that the four prisoners of ward number 10 cut the rods of their cell and escaped during the early hours.
"They took advantage of the darkness outside as there was no electricity at that moment," he said.
Out of the four prisoners, two are charged with extortion, while one each are murder and theft culprits, he added.
"All of them were between 20-22 years of age, so they could escape easily through a small hole. We have launched an operation to nab them," Mahanta said.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi asked the Director General of Police Khagen Sarma to institute a probe into the jailbreak and take strong disciplinary action against the errant officials responsible for the serious security lapse, a statement from the CMO said.
Gogoi also directed Sarma to strengthen security in all the jails across the state.
He also directed the DGP to initiate measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents, it added.
