Even as Home Minister R R Patil was addressing jail authorities on making convicts law-abiding citizens, a prisoner serving a life term for murdering his wife escaped from the Yerawada open jail on Tuesday afternoon.
Patil was the chief guest at the passing out parade for jail warders, and was addressing a gathering at the grounds adjoining the open jail about the same time the convict was planning to escape.u00a0
On deaf ears: While Home Minister R R Patil was addressing a gathering at Yerawada Jail, he insisted that inmates must be made responsible citizens. Meanwhile, a prisoner escaped from the adjoining open jail on Tuesday afternoon. Pic/Krunal Gosavi
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Jail officials only realised that convict Satish Bajirao Daspute had escaped while taking a headcount in the afternoon. u00a0Following which open jail authorities lodged a complaint with the Yerawada police station. Police have launched a manhunt to trace Daspute.
According to the police, Daspute is a resident of Mungi Paithan village in Ahmednagar district, and had killed his wife over a domestic quarrel in 1998. In 2002, a court had sentenced Daspute to life imprisonment.
“Daspute was brought to the open jail four months ago, and he used to work in the field. He was present during the morning attendance, but in the afternoon, the roll call official could not find him during attendance taking,” said Vilas Kapde, superintendent of the open jail.
Prison guards were instructed to trace him within the jail premises first, but after looking around for a considerable time, it was ascertained that that he had run away. “After searching him till evening, we registered a complaint with Yerawada police station,” said Kapde.
According to sources inside the jail, Daspute was released on parole in 2007, and had returned late to jail. Police had then arrested him for arriving late to the jail. u00a0R Lokhande, police sub inspector at Yerawada police station, said that that they have taken details of Daspute’s relatives and family members from jail authorities, and are investigating the case.
The open jail is a concept where selected inmates serve their punishment by working in the jail farm, which is spread over 265 acres of land. The escape of the murder convict has put a serious question over the security procedures of jail authorities, which has seen number of inmates escaping from the clutches of police while being escorted to court or hospital in the recent past.u00a0
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