Bhopal prison break: MP government mulls installation of electric fencing around jails

The Madhya Pradesh government aims to improve prison security in the wake of the daring Bhopal jailbreak by eight SIMI activists and is "seriously" considering installing electric fencing around its 122 jails.

The eight SIMI undertrial activists had escaped from the high-security Central jail here after killing a head constable on the intervening night of October 30-31.

Also Read: Bhopal encounter: Slain SIMI activists' lawyer Parvez Alam demands High Court monitored probe into incident

They were subsequently killed in an alleged encounter on the outskirts of the city on October 31.After the encounter, conflicting versions from police and state Home Minister surfaced, leading to allegations that it might be fake.

"A top official has already left for Chhattisgarh to study the electric fencing of the jails in the wake of the Bhopal jailbreak. We are seriously thinking about following suit of the neighbouring state," MP Prison Director General (DG) Sanjay Choudhary told PTI on Sunday.

He, however, did not disclose the name of the official who has left for Chhattisgarh.The security audit of the MP jails is underway, after which measures will be taken to ramp up the security of prisons, the DG said.

Also Read: MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan orders judicial probe into Bhopal jailbreak and encounter

Asked about the Madhya Pradesh government's move to increase the height of boundary walls of the prisons across the state, Choudhary said all these things will be done after taking into account the security audit report of the jails, which is currently underway.

"We are not going to enhance jail security on piecemeal basis, rather we are going to initiate measures in one go after the report of jail security audit," he added.

Earlier, the state government had ordered a judicial probe into the sensational jail-break and the alleged encounter. The probe will be conducted by retired High Court Judge Justice S K Pandey. 

Also Read: Bhopal Encounter: Dead SIMI activists suspect in Pune Bomb Blast case too