Agartala, Oct 1: In a major security breach, six inmates — five undertrial prisoners and one convicted criminal — escaped from Dharmanagar Sub-Jail in North Tripura during the early hours of Wednesday, officials confirmed.
The incident occurred when jail staff brought the prisoners out of their cells for breakfast and daily ablutions. Taking advantage of the situation, the inmates attacked a guard, identified as Bedu Miah, with sharp weapons and managed to flee. The injured staff has been admitted to Dharmanagar District Hospital, where his condition is reported to be stable.
Authorities immediately swung into action, launching a massive search operation across North Tripura and adjoining districts. Superintendent of Police Avinash Kumar Rai personally led one of the search teams. All police stations and security outposts in North Tripura and Unakoti districts have been put on high alert.
Considering the proximity of the jail to the international boundary, the Border Security Force (BSF) has been requested to intensify vigil along the India-Bangladesh border. Officials said all exit points along Tripura’s borders with Assam, Mizoram, and Bangladesh have been sealed to prevent the fugitives from escaping the state.
The absconding inmates include undertrial prisoners Abdul Pata, Rahim Ali, Narayan Chandra Dutta, Rosan Ali, and Nazim Uddin, along with convicted prisoner Sunil Debbarma, who is serving a life term for murder. Of these, Narayan Chandra Dutta is a Bangladeshi national arrested earlier under the Passport Act, while Abdul Pata hails from Nilambazar in Assam’s Sribhumi district and faces charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Officials said search operations will continue until the six fugitives are tracked down and brought back into custody.