Thaindian News

Kannur (Kerala), June 15 (IANS) A senior Kerala Police official Tuesday denied any security lapse in the escape of two convicts from Kannur jail, noting that inmates have escaped even from the world’s high security jails.
“No jail is unbreakable because some criminal brains are better than the jail (officials’) brains,” Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) Alexander Jacob told reporters after inspecting the jail.

Police have formed half a dozen special teams to nab the two convicts - Jayanandan, serving a life term for murder, and Riaz, who had committed 35 burglaries. Jayanandan was moved to the jail from the Trissur jail from where he had also attempted to escape by digging a trench under the bathroom of the jail.

The duo had apparently removed two bars of their cell and put them back after getting out. They scaled the high prison walls.

“The two made good their escape after putting two dummies made from pillows, pants and the vessels on the floor to make it appear they were sleeping if anyone looked from outside. The slip was noticed around 6 a.m. by the duty warder and after a two-hour search inside the jail premises, they reported the matter to the higher ups,” Jacob said.

According to Jacob, the two could have escaped from their cell in the the prison’s Block 10 between 2.30 and 3.30 a.m. as the inmates were watching football till well after midnight.

“A pipe of the water tank was broken and coconut husks from the kitchen have been reported missing. On the jail wall, broken glass pieces have been placed and the two might have used the husks to cover them,” Jacob said, adding it was possible that they used the pipe to scale the 20 feet tall jail wall.

On the CCTV, inaugurated by Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan only last week, Jacob said there was a camera placed directly opposite the cell occupied by the two prisoners. But it had been found that no one had tampered with it but there was a technical problem due to which it did not function.

“This has been set up with the help of (state-owned) KELTRON and during the day time, their staff are there but not on duty at night,” Jacob said.

He said it had also been decided to move out some prisoners from the overcrowded jail, which has over 1,200 inmates.

“With the present set of staff in the jail, around 850 prisoners can be managed. Soon we will move the rest to other jails and to a new jail which is opening shortly,” Jacob said.