Against the backdrop of the escape of a jailed Pakistani terrorist, the Centre on Friday directed the Jammu & Kashmir Government to fully review security measures in place in jails and the process of transportation of inmates.
Following MHA's directive, seven out of the 16 Pakistani prisoners in Srinagar central jail have been moved to Jammu, Uddhampur, Leh jails and kept in isolation.
The CRPF has taken over the security of these prisoners including the rest of nine prisoners. The Union Home Ministry also asked the State Government to ensure that no such incident takes place in future and widen the deployment of CRPF in prison security. The move came following a high-level meeting which was convened after the escape of Pakistani terrorist Naveed Jatt, who was lodged in Srinagar central jail.
He fled from a hospital in the city after some militants shot and killed two policemen accompanying him. Jatt was taken to the hospital for medical checkup.
The home ministry has asked the Jammu & Kashmir Government to fix responsibility for lapses and also to examine why a high-security prisoner was sent to the OPD of a hospital.
A Senior MHA official said the State Government has also issued instructions to immediately review security of hardened terrorists who are lodged in Srinagar central jail and they are expected to be moved out to Jammu, Uddhampur, Leh jails and kept in isolation. The rest of the nine Pakistani prisoners will also be moved out to safe location prisons.
The State Government has been asked to involve CRPF in all aspects of central jail security not only perimeter security but also inside the prison, said the official.
The State Government has transferred Director General of Prisons S K Mishra and appointed Dilbag Singh in his place. The Srinagar jail superintendent has been suspended and a high-level enquiry by the divisional commissioner ordered, the official said.