SHILLONG, Sept 12: The state government on Monday instituted a magisterial inquiry and an independent inquiry into the sensational Jowai jailbreak.

Tabling a suo motu statement in the Assembly, Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui said, “The District Magistrate has directed PK Boro, Additional District Magistrate, West Jaintia Hills to conduct magisterial inquiry into the matter of jailbreak.”

He informed that the Additional Superintendent of Police, West Jaintia Hills District, has been entrusted with the conduct of independent inquiry into the reasons and circumstances leading to the escape.

MA Challam, Additional District Magistrate, has also been deputed to conduct inquest on the four dead bodies of the escaped prisoners.

The decision comes a day after four of the six prisoners were killed by a mob of angry villagers in a forest area near Shangpung village in West Jaintia Hills District.

On Sunday, a mob of around 5,000 plus villagers from different unknown villages made a hot pursuit of the four noted escaped prisoners and converged into a forest area away from Shangpung village, West Jaintia Hills.

Rymbui said on receiving information, the police team proceeded to the place of occurrence but was vehemently prevented by the unruly mob.

“Police team tried to negotiate and confront the mob to proceed to the place of occurence to prevent an attack on the four escapees. However, after much confrontation with the mob to the effect that many policemen got injured… The police team managed to retrieve and remove 4 unconscious escapees from the place of occurence to civil hospital with the permission from the magistrate on duty,” he said.

“However, on reaching the hospital, it was declared by the medical officer that all four of them have been brought dead,” he added.

The four deceased are I Love You Talang of Moorap village, Lodestar Tang of Mootyrshiah village, Shidorki Dkhar of Thangrain, and Marsanki Tariang (convict) of Priang village.

All the four dead bodies are presently kept at the morgue in civil hospital, Ialong.

The UTPs who escaped from the mob lynching is suspected to be Ramesh Dkhar of Mihmyntdu village and the person who was not in the group Rikmenlang Lamare of Barato village and the whereabouts of the two at present are still unknown and the police is on the lookout for them and on high alert, the minister said.

Earlier, the home minister informed that a criminal case has been registered against the five prison staff – Rajesh Swer (head warden), Champmilan Kynjing (warder), Damelahun Sun (temporary warder), Pyndaphor Bamaon (warder) and Alexier Lawtam (temporary warder) following the escape of the five UTPs and 1 convict from the District Prison and Correctional Services, Jowai on September 10.

The preliminary enquiry has ascertained that the District Prison Jowai is segregated into three security perimeters whereby first and outer periphery is managed by the platoon of 6th MLP Bn and 2nd and 3rd periphery is managed by the staff of District prison.

All the UTPs and a convict were inside the 3rd periphery.

Rymbui said at around 1.45 pm on September 10, 2022, when the warden entered the 3rd periphery gate, he was overpowered and (the prisoners) forcefully opened the 3rd gate by overpowering the gatesman in 3rd gate as well as 2nd gate.

On reaching the outer periphery (first gate), which is manned by personnel of 6th MLP Bn, the personnel of 6th MLP Bn tried to stop the jailbreak by firing in the air. However, he was assaulted by a sharp weapon in his head and the escapees overpowered him and all managed to escape.

In this incident, a total of 4 prison staff and 1 police personnel received injuries and out of which 1 police personnel got hospitalized, he said.

Following the escape, all police units in the district were alerted on the escaped UTPs and a convict and subsequently search operation were commenced by all police units, and special team from the district.

Hue and cry notice was submitted to the special superintendent of police (CID), for circulation to all districts.