The Hindu : Suspended Jail official missing

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 19, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Suspended Jail official missing

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 18. The Deputy Superintendent of Jail No. 1, who was suspended after Sher Singh Rana, the main accused in the Phoolan Devi murder case, was whisked away from the jail this Tuesday, has reportedly gone missing.

It is learnt that the Crime Branch, which is probing into Rana's escape, has not been able to contact the suspended Deputy Superintendent, V.D. Pushkarna. Pushkarna was to report to the R.K. Puram office of the Crime Branch this afternoon for questioning, but he did not turn up. He could neither be contacted over phone nor at the residence.

Incidentally, he was one among the eight jail officials suspended after the notorious criminal, Charles Shobhraj, had escaped from Tihar Jail in 1986. Meanwhile, some of the witnesses in the Phoolan Devi murder case have refused to depose before the court after they came to know that Rana had escaped from the jail. They reportedly contacted the police on Tuesday and said they would not depose before the court till Rana was caught.

Investigations so far have also revealed another lapse in the security set-up at Tihar Jail. It is learnt that most of the Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTVs) installed inside the prison do not have recording facility, as they are only meant for monitoring the activities of the personnel and the inmates alike.

This apart, the monitors installed at the Jail No. 1 were allegedly switched off when Rana was handed over to the man impersonating as a Delhi Armed Police constable.

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