An administrative inquiry into Chhattisgarh’s Dantewara prison break on December 16, 2007 where 299 prisoners escaped — in one of the biggest ever jailbreaks enacted by suspected Maoists from inside the prison walls — has indicted senior police officials, exposed shocking lapses in prison security and revealed the callous attitude of district administration and local police.

The report adds that inadequate number of prison guards, improper training — guards on duty that day didn’t even know how to fire — non-separation of Naxalite and other inmates and alleged collusion by the jail staff was collectively responsible for one of the biggest prison-breaks in the nation’s history. Over 105 of those who escaped were suspected Maoists.

The report of the inquiry, conducted by Development Commissioner (Bastar) R S Vishwakarma, has been given to Chief Minister Raman Singh, Home Minister Ram Vichar Netam, Chief Secretary Shivraj Singh and Principal Secretary (Home) N K Aswal. Confirming the report’s receipt, Netam told The Indian Express that the government would initiate action against officials indicted. “We have already initiated several steps to tighten security at all prison facilities housing Maoist extremists,” he added.

It’s not going to be easy given the key findings of the report, a copy of which is with The Indian Express:

•The jail’s capacity was 150 prisoners, at the time of the attack there were 377 inmates.

•Naxalites were deliberately not shifted to the Central Prison in Jagdalpur as this would have reduced the inmate count which, in turn, would have cut down prison’s fund allocation for feeding inmates. This indicates a “corruption angle.”

... contd.