Patna: Security around the Beur central jail in Patna — home to over 300 Maoists and other militants — was heavily beefed up on Wednesday a day after a jailbreak in bordering Jharkhand state.
On Tuesday 15 prisoners, many of them rebels, escaped after spraying pepper powder into the eyes of security men.
Currently, there are around 2,500 inmates at the central jail, almost more than double the capacity of the prison.
Authorities said they are on high alert and have deployed heavily-armed Bihar Military Police personnel around the jail to prevent a replay of the Jharkhand jailbreak.
They said they are also making arrangements to equip the officers guarding prison vans with walkie talkies to help them pass quick information to the administration.
On Wednesday, Patna’s city superintendent of police Shivadeep Lande visited the Beur central jail, located on the outskirt of the state capital, and reviewed the security arrangements in and around the jail premises.
He said the police administration had taken several steps to tighten security around the jail without revealing much.
In the Jharkhand incident, police said a van carrying 54 undertrial prisoners was being taken back to Chaibasa prison, after their court appearances, when the inmates escaped after throwing pepper powder into the eyes of security officers.
The guards fire at the escapees, killing two prisoners on the spot. A manhunt has been launched to find the absconding prisoners.
Located media has reported that the prisoners took advantage of the presence of a crowd at a local fair outside the jail premises to escape.
