Prohibited items found in Dantewada prison cells

Posted at Thursday, 17 January 2008 14:01 IST

Raipur, Jan 17: Police has seized several prohibited items from the Dantewada district jail in Chhattisgarh. The operation was carried out after 300 of its inmates, including 105 Naxalites, on Sunday escaped allegedly with the help of jail officials.

Police has recovered iron rod cutter, ropes, chili powder and many more things. The raid was conducted late last night, Bastar Range Inspector General of Police Rajinder Kumar Vij said.

Some of the items were seized from the barrack where the mastermind of the jail break and Naxal commander Sujit Kumar was housed, he said.

Police has arrested Dantewada Jail Superintendent B. S. Mankar. He was produced before a local magistrate, who sent him to 14-day judicial remand, Vij said.

After a visit by Home Minister Ram Vichar Netam to the jail, Mankar was arrested last night on the charge of facilitating the escape of inmates.

Even after two days of the incident, as many as 291 inmates are still at large.

Nine inmates were either arrested from Bijapur district or have surrendered before the Dantewada police, Vij said