Three security guards, other arrested as 'jailbreak' plan foiled

Four persons, including three security guards deputed at Chaibasa divisional jail in West Singhbhum district were arrested allegedly for planning to execute jailbreak to free a hardcore Naxal, police said Monday.

The Naxal has been languishing in the jail and the accused wanted him to flee the prison sometime during coming Durga Puja, a senior police officer said.

The arrested security guards identified as Vijay Khalko, Chamu Munda and Juel Horo, all residents of Khunti district, are retired policemen, SP G Kranthi Kumar said.

The fourth person arrested in this connection, Rama Pandey alias Ramashankar Pandey, a resident of Gua in West Singhbhum district, was the financer of the hardcore CPI (Maoists) leader Motilal Soren alias Sandeep and a trade union leader.

Kumar said Sandeep was carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head.

We were tipped off that Sandeep along with his other naxals jailmates and criminals-Jaiyamsih Charad, Rameshwar Kunkal, Markende Singh Kuntia, Dev Kumar Biruli, Nala Bhikshapati, Rajesh Tudu alias Rajesh Santhali- were conspiring to execute their jailbreak plan and the arrested jail security guards were assisting them, SP said.

In fact, Pandey had paid Rs 4 lakh to Khalko to execute the jailbreak plan sometime during Durga Puja or during a foggy day in winter season, he said.

They had plan to burl bomb or open fire enroute or in the court campus when they would be taken to court, Kumar said, adding that the forces trying to free the naxals had even conducted recce inside and outside the jail as well as the route between jail and the court.

The ultra outfit CPI (Maoists) suffered a heavy blow following the arrest of Sandeep. Hence, the forces, engaged in setting free Sandeep and other naxals from the jail, can go to any extent to execute their plan, he said.

Kumar said naxals Sandeep, Dhiren da alias Uttam da alias Girish da alias Narayan Mahato, Raghunath Hembram alias Birsen alias Nirbhay ji escaped from the Chaibasa jail following a jailbreak on January 27, 2011.

A case was registered under sections 222/224/120B/201 of the IPC and 17 CLA Act.

Sandeep had been arrested with arms from Jetiya police station on November 2, 2017.

Another jailbreak had took place on December 9, 2014 when the Naxal supporters sprinkled chilli powder on security guards as soon as the inmates were being taken back to their cell.

Two jail inmates had been killed in an attempt to loot the fire-arms of the security guards whereas some naxals including Chokro Chaki, Vimal Gudia and Guda Nag had managed to escape, he said.

However, Chaki, Gudia and Nag were re-arrested and currently under the judicial custody in the jail, Kumar said.

All the three arrested security guards were deputed at the jail premises when both the jailbreak incidents had taken place.