Security tightened in Delhi prisons after intel input about jailbreak plan

Security has been tightened in jails across Delhi after an intelligence input was received that five inmates were planning to flee from custody, sources said on Tuesday.

However, Director General (Prisons) Sandeep Goel refused to comment on this.

Jail officials and police have also been asked to remain alert to avoid any kind of gang war in the national capital following the murder of gangster Jitender Mann alias Gogi in a dramatic shootout last week, they said.

The alert was sounded after some "threat messages" appeared on social media accounts allegedly being handled by associates of gangster Gogi, the sources said.

The messages posted allegedly by the associates of Gogi hinted at taking revenge from their rivals.

According to the sources, the five criminals, suspected to be gangsters, were planning to escape from custody with the help of their associates.

Following the input, the surveillance on the five prisoners has been increased, they said.

The jail officials and security officials have been directed to stay alert on the movement of the inmates in case they need to be produced for court hearings, taken to hospital or out of their wards, the sources added.

After the shootout in a Rohini courtroom, the prison officials on Saturday had said that the security was beefed up in jails where Gogi and Tillu gang members were lodged.

Gogi was shot dead by two men, who were dressed as lawyers, inside the crowded courtroom on Friday, with police in retaliatory fire killing the assailants, who are suspected to be from the slain gangster's rival Tillu gang.

The Delhi Prisons Department had issued an order in which it was mentioned that members of rival gangs should be identified.

It stated that members of the gangs would be escorted with precaution to any place outside the jail premises, including courts and hospitals. The cells of the rival gang members would not be opened at the same time if they were lodged in the same jail, the order had said.

“Proper security should be provided whenever these inmates are allowed to move inside jails and efforts should be made to develop an intelligence network for collecting information from among inmates to prevent any untoward incidents,” the order had said.

Maximum staff should be deployed inside a prison and all security equipment need to be in working condition, it stated.

The order had said that all superintendents should maintain maximum presence in prisons and inspect jails at odd hours.

“Security has been raised and officials are keeping a tight vigil on jails where Gogi and Tillu gang members have been lodged,” a senior jail official had said on Saturday.

The Gogi and Tillu gangs are reportedly at war for years.