Guards watch reels as lifer scales prison wall; jailer among 11 suspended

Meerut: Eleven prison officials and staff faced action after a convict serving life term in a child rape case escaped from the high-security Central Jail in Bareilly as several guards deployed for surveillance were busy watching social media reels on their mobile phones.DG (prisons) PC Meena suspended jailer Neeraj Kumar and deputy jailer Vandana Choudhary, and recommended strict departmental action against senior jail superintendent Avinash Gautam. The jail administration also suspended seven lower staffers. “Action has been taken against the personnel for dereliction of duty,” he told TOI on Tuesday.The convict, Dinesh, 22, a resident of Nanheda Rajput village in Amroha, was sent to an agricultural farm adjoining the jail premises for routine work with 45 other inmates on Monday afternoon.

Around 10 prison staff were deputed to watch the group, but around 12.30pm, he scaled the boundary wall and fled from the farm area.An official in the jail said the initial inquiry found that some guards were distracted when the convict escaped. “They were busy watching reels on their mobile phones instead of keeping watch over inmates. Dinesh used that lapse to scale the wall and escape,” the official said.The escape has embarrassed prison authorities because it is the second such breach in less than a year.

In Oct 2024, Harpal, a murder convict, had escaped, following which staff were suspended and an FIR was registered. He was later rearrested after a police encounter.Central Jail, Bareilly, is considered among UP’s most sensitive prisons and houses several high-profile and notorious inmates in high-security barracks. Despite CCTV cameras, a police post inside the campus and additional security arrangements, the repeat escape has raised questions over staff deployment and supervision of prisoners assigned outdoor work.Police teams and jail administration squads have been formed to trace Dinesh, with searches underway in Amroha and other possible hideouts. Officials said further action against jail personnel would depend on the detailed inquiry report and circumstances under which a life convict managed to escape despite multiple staff members being present.(With inputs from Asif Ansari in Bareilly)