Punjab jailbreak: Centre should create anti-terrorist military squad, says Bitta

After ten armed men attacked a high-security jail in Nabha, Punjab, today and fled with dreaded militant and Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) terrorist Harminder Singh alias Mintoo, All India Anti-Terrorist Front chairman M.S. Bitta on Sunday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should launch an anti-terrorist military squad and added that the jails should come under army surveillance.

"Looking at the situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should launch an anti terrorist military squad. Special jails should be under army surveillance. Central government and state government should be very alert," Bitta told ANI.

"Jail break is a serious issue as the election is soon to come. Can we say that the ISIS is behind this, is Punjab in trouble? Will they kill innocent people? They have funding from foreign countries. If they are not caught, then there is no doubt that Punjab is in big trouble," he added.

He further said that the saddest thing is that all political parties are together when it comes to demonetisation, but they are not together in the fight against terrorism.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government suspended the Director General (Jails) and dismissed the Nabha Jail superintendent and deputy jail superintendent and set up a special task force to look into the Nabha jailbreak incident.

"DG Jails has been suspended and Jail Superintendent and Deputy Jail Superintendent have been dismissed," Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, who also holds the home portfolio, told reporters.

A manhunt has been launched to trace the prisoners who escaped, the Deputy CM said and added that a special task force has been formed to track them.