Rape convict escapes from open prison in Himachal, held within hours

Bilaspur (HP), Jun 27 (PTI) A rape convict who escaped from an open prison at Jabli in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur was traced and arrested within hours, police said on Friday.

At around 8.30 am on Thursday, after cleaning the barrack, Mehar Chand went outside the prison to throw garbage. He was accompanied by the jail’s head supervisor.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chand escaped. As soon as the incident came to light, the jail administration immediately informed the local police about the incident, they said.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shiv Chaudhary said teams were deployed at various places and vehicles were searched thoroughly in the entire district for the runaway convict.

After a lot of effort, the police got success and the prisoner was nabbed near Nauni on Thursday night. Some villagers identified the movement of a suspicious person and informed the police following which Chand was arrested.

In 2020, Chand was convicted in rape case that took place in Sandauli village on August 28, 2015. He was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment in the case and was currently lodged in an open jail in Bilaspur.

Open jails are a form of correctional facilities designed to rehabilitate offenders through a less restrictive environment compared to traditional closed prisons.

The ASP said Chand is being interrogated and the matter being investigated thoroughly to figure out whether he had received any help in his escape.

The negligence of the jail administration has come under question in this case. PTI COR BPL NB