On Friday evening, a prison in Haridwar hosted a Ramlila performance to teach inmates about the triumph of good over evil. Ironically, the event saw two prisoners, playing the roles of ‘vaanars’ (monkeys from Lord Ram’s army), seize the opportunity to escape. One inmate was serving a life sentence for murder, while the other was awaiting trial for kidnapping. In response, six jail officials have been suspended.
According to a senior police officer, the Ramlila was organized at the Haridwar district jail as part of the lead-up to Dussehra. Among the participating prisoners were Pramod, serving life for murder, and Ramkumar, on trial for kidnapping and extortion. They depicted characters that aided Lord Ram in his battle against Ravana.
While the officials and guards became engrossed in the performance, Pramod and Ramkumar managed to sneak away from the stage to a construction area within the prison. There, they found an unattended ladder, which they leaned against a wall to facilitate their escape.
Haridwar District Magistrate Karmendra Singh expressed his outrage, asserting that jail officials should have prioritized their duties over participating in the Ramlila. He noted, “There has been negligence from the jail administration. The prisoners utilized a ladder and their clothing to escape. The officials were preoccupied with the Ramlila, and a case has been registered; inquiries will follow. A security breach cannot be justified by an upcoming event.”
Singh further emphasized that despite the performance, security protocols must still be upheld, criticizing the jailer’s absence and highlighting the responsibility of the jailer to maintain oversight.
Senior Superintendent of Police Pramod Singh Doval stated that a manhunt for the escaped inmates is underway. He also questioned the delay in notification regarding the jailbreak, only learning of it at 6:30 am the next day. “We are determined to apprehend the fugitives promptly… This is a challenge for us. The search began in the evening, yet we were only notified this morning. We will investigate this delay,” he remarked.
The suspended officials include Jailer Pyare Lal Arya, Deputy Jailer Kunwar Pal Singh, Day Head Warder Premshankar Yadav, Head Warder In-Charge Vijay Pal Singh, Bandirakshak Ompal Singh, and Head Warder In-Charge and Gatekeeper Nilesh Kumar.
