Aizawl: A report by Mizoram’s weekly investigative magazine, The Frontier Despatch, has revealed serious lapses in prison security at the Central Jail, including failure to act on recommendations made nearly three years ago by a government-appointed security audit. The findings come in the wake of a recent prison break involving six inmates, sparking concerns over administrative negligence and misuse of public funds.
According to The Frontier Despatch, a security audit had recommended the replacement of ageing barbed wire fencing at the Central Jail, but authorities failed to act. The barbed wire remained unrepaired, allowing six prisoners to escape by slipping through the deteriorated fencing. The weekly also uncovered that mock security drills, recommended to be held twice monthly, have not been conducted as advised.
The issue has come under further scrutiny following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Zofa Welfare Organisation in 2022. At its 49th hearing on July 16, the Guwahati High Court observed that construction and renovation work at the Central Jail was “minimal” despite substantial funds being allocated.
Two of the six prisoners who escaped have been identified as Lianhmingthanga, an undertrial in a child rape case, and Malsawmdanga, an undertrial charged with drug trafficking. The duo reportedly escaped on July 12 from Ward III, where the wooden ceiling is said to be old and dilapidated, further exposing infrastructural vulnerabilities.
Back in October 2023, The Frontier Despatch had also reported that the security audit recommended bi-monthly mock drills to test prison preparedness—yet this suggestion was entirely ignored by jail authorities.
Despite the urgency of the matter, Rs 55 crore was allocated in February for the renovation of the Central Jail and district jails across Mizoram. Of this, Rs 36.3 crore was sanctioned to the Public Works Department (PWD) in April. However, the division bench of the Guwahati High Court recently expressed dissatisfaction with the slow progress. The court directed the Mizoram government to submit an affidavit within two months detailing the status of the renovation and construction work.
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