[Amar Sangno]
ITANAGAR, 12 Apr: The jailbreak that occurred in Tirap HQ Khonsa, in which NSCN operatives Roksen Homcha Lowang and Titpu Kitnya killed IRBn constable Wangnyam Bosai on 26 March, has exposed the laxity in prison administration by the Arunachal Pradesh Police (APP).
Statistics show that 48 jailbreaks and escapes have occurred in Arunachal since 2013. East Kameng HQ Seppa holds the record of jailbreaks/escapes with 10 cases, followed by Tirap (7 cases), Changlang (6 cases), Lohit (6 cases), East Siang (4 cases), and Papum Pare (ICR) with 4 cases.
Prison administration is one of the major components of the criminal justice system. It focuses on correctional services to change and reform the convicts, so that they can live in the mainstream society.
Sources in the police department informed that the reason for the jailbreaks is the laxity in prison administration by the authorities. The sources cited the pathetic and inhumane conditions of the prison cells, poor infrastructures, lack of facilities like armoured vehicles, lack of basic understanding of the prison system, etc, behind the incidents.
There is only one central jail in Arunachal, established in Kimin, Papum Pare. However, it is not yet functional. There are two district jails, in Jully (Itanagar) and Tezu (Lohit), and seven sub-jails in Aalo, Pasighat, Yingkiong, Koloriang, Khonsa, Changlang and Longding.
It is learnt that only 131 staffers, including a driver, wardens, constables, the head constable, and the sub-inspector, are managing the Jully district jail and guarding 219 prisoners. Likewise, in Tezu, there are 64 staffers against 86 prisoners. Ideally, the prison department must have the security and management responsibilities of all jails across the state.
“The security responsibility of jails is with the prison department. For jail protection there is no separate security personnel. Currently, it is being managed by APPBn and the IRBn personnel,” said SP (Crime) Rohit Rajbir Singh.
Singh had recently assessed the reason behind the jailbreak and escape of the inmates from the Khonsa jail.
It is also learnt that the police station concerned has to bear the burden of ensuring security.
“Neither is the prison manual ever followed by the jail administration in any cell, nor does the judicial EAC ever visit the jail to oversee the pathetic situation,” said a police officer on condition of anonymity.
“Instead of addressing the fundamental issues in jail administration, whenever any jailbreak or escape occurs, we are held accountable. For instance, had late Bosai not been martyred, he would have been suspended by the authority,” he said, expressing frustration over the poor management of the prison system.
Despite repeated jailbreaks, there is no tangible policy, nor is adequate fund being provided to revamp the prison administration under the APP; rather, the jail administration remains one of the most neglected areas.
The Arunachal Times sent a couple of queries to Deputy Inspector General of Police (Prison) Tojo Karga on WhatsApp, but the DIGP had not responded at the time of writing.
According to the annual report released by the National Crime Records Bureau, “Arunachal Pradesh is the second lowest state after Nagaland which shares expenses on inmates in total annual expenditure.”
Nagaland (5.6 percent), Arunachal (7.6 percent), Himachal Pradesh (8.0 percent), Puducherry (8.6 percent), and Tripura (9.9 percent) are the states which are spending significantly less than the national average of 31.3 percent.
The Chief Minister Pema Khandu-led government had in the budget session announced Rs 40 crore for a new central jail in Kimin to address the problem of overcrowding in the prisons.
