Escape tunnel case: FIR names four Sabarmati jail officers

City police's Crime Branch has filed FIR against a jail superintendent and three jailers alongwith six others for trying to cover up the seriousness and extent of the sensational jail-break attempt at Sabarmati Central Jail here.
"Nine accused have been charged for destruction of evidence, giving false statements, etc," Crime Branch DCP Himanshu Shukla said. This is apart from the case lodged against those who dug the tunnel.
FIRs have been registered against Jail Superintendent R J Parghi, jailors D K Vankar, D J Parmar and Hetu Hirolia, subedaar Dharam C Rabari, convicted prisoner Ghanshyam Singh Rathore and the three accused of Ahmedabad serial blasts case -- Hafiz Hussain alias Adnan, Sibli alias Sabit and Mohd Ansaar.

On February 10, jail officials stumbled upon a 214-feet long tunnel under barrack number 4, allegedly dug by the blasts accused who were housed there.
However, the officials allegedly tried to cover up the seriousness of the lapse in vigilance by putting a big rock in the tunnel to show that it was only 42-feet long. The Crime Branch later found out the real extent of the tunnel only from the interrogation of one of the accused.
A committee set up by the government to fix responsibility of jail staff submitted its report last month.
With the recent arrest of Mohammad Shahid Nagori, the number of persons under custody in serial blasts case has reached 74. Twenty-four others, including Riaz and Iqbal Bhatkal and Mufti Sufian Patangiya are still absconding.

Over 56 persons were killed and more than 100 injured in a series of 21 blasts in Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008.