Tihar jailbreak: MHA seeks report, magisterial inquiry ordered

The home ministry on Monday sought a report from prison authorities into the daring jail break incident at Tihar from where two undertrials managed to escape.

"A report has been sought from the prison authorities," a senior home ministry official said.

Meanwhile, Lt Governor Najeeb Jung ordered a magisterial inquiry. Jung directed district magistrate (South West) Ankur Garg to probe the matter and sought an inquiry report within a week.

Two undertrials scaled the wall of the ward they were lodged in and then dug a tunnel through the boundary wall to escape from the jail which is considered to be the most high-security prison compound in the count.

While one of them was later caught, the other one is still on the run and a mega manhunt has been launched to nab him.

"Ankur Garg, IAS, District Magistrate (South West) will conduct the inquiry into the incidents of wall break, digging of tunnel and escape of prisoners from Central Jail," LG's office said in a statement.

The inquiry will also focus on the factors and circumstances leading to the incident besides reviewing comprehensively the security set-up of Delhi Prisons.

The DM's inquiry will also focus on fixing responsibility for the lapses leading to the occurrence of the incident and suggest remedial measures to be undertaken by the prison administration to prevent recurrence of such incidents, the statement said.

"District Magistrate (South West) may co-opt officers from concerned departments viz - Delhi Prisons, Delhi Police, PWD etc. to assist him in the inquiry," the LG's office stated.