Bhopal: Falling of Gohad jail wall has once again brought to fore the immediate need to repair the old crumbling jail structures in the state. Weak structures are a cause of concern for authorities as they are susceptible to jail breaks. The jail department had submitted a proposal to strengthen the jail security system including the repairing work, but the government is still to take note of it.
The DG jail Sanjay Choudhary informed that last week, the inner partition wall which separates the jail ward of Gohad jail had fallen down. A 70-feet patch of wall, around six feet high, came crushing down, he informed. Earlier on the Ram Navami day (September 29, 2017), a big part of the outer security wall had fallen down.
He informed that the jail is very old and at many places the inner wall and outer security wall are not in good shape. The department has asked around Rs 36 crore for repair and upgradations of structure and around 5 crore to renovate jails, however, the government has approved only Rs 15 corer, informed the DG.
A number of incidents of jail breaks in the state have pointed out several lapses and loopholes in the security which needs to be sealed.
In October 2013, seven members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) had escaped from the Khandwa Jail. The absconded members had stabbed two constables, looted rifles and run away with wireless sets. They had also broken the bathroom wall in their escape bid. The nine jail inmates had fled from the Dabra jail on November 9, 2011, by mixing the drugs in the tea. All of them were in jail in different sections of loot, murder, kidnapping and others.
Earlier on October 31, eight SIMI activists had fled from the jail by scaling 20 feet outer security wall of Bhopal central jail.
