CHENNAI: Days after the escape of 17 prisoners from the Theni district jail sent shockwaves through the govt and prison department, Tamil Nadu has constituted a high-level committee headed by former DGP J K Tripathy to probe security lapses in prisons and recommend measures to plug the gaps.The committee, formed on the directions of chief minister C Joseph Vijay, will examine the existing security infrastructure, standard operating procedures (SOPs), technology gaps and manpower deployment in prisons. It will also investigate the lapses that led to recent prisoner escapes and suggest measures to prevent their recurrence, according to a govt statement.Tripathy, a 1985 batch IPS officer, is the chairman of the committee. Tripathy was the DGP prisons from 2007 to 2010. Other members of the committee are DGP of prisons and correctional services K Shankar and former DIG of prisons S Rajendran.The committee will study prison security practices followed in other states and abroad and recommend comprehensive measures to strengthen the existing mechanism. It has been asked to submit its report to the govt at the earliest.The CM has directed the prison department to strengthen security on a war footing and said accountability would be fixed for any negligence in duty, according to the statement.
About The Author
