- Prisoner Chandraveer Singh escaped Raipur Central Jail during welding work near women’s block
- Singh was convicted for drug trafficking and sentenced to 15 years rigorous imprisonment in 2022
- Raipur Central Jail houses over 3,000 inmates, despite official capacity of 1,586 prisoners
The escape of a prisoner from Raipur Central Jail has triggered panic within the jail administration and exposed glaring lapses in its security arrangements. The prisoner has been identified as Chandraveer Singh, who has been serving his sentence under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act since 2021.
According to officials, around 2-2:30 pm on Thursday, five inmates were taken for welding work near the under-construction women's jail block within the premises. Taking advantage of this, Singh managed to dodge the jail staff and fled.
The prisoner had been convicted of drug trafficking by Special NDPS Judge, Raipur, Pankaj Kumar Sinha, in July last year. The court sentenced him to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh. In case of non-payment of the fine, he was also directed to undergo an additional six years of imprisonment.
Despite claims of tight security, his escape has raised serious questions over the functioning of the Central Jail administration.
The incident is being viewed as particularly sensitive since Raipur Central Jail houses not only several notorious Maoists but also members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. In addition, Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, is also lodged here.
With an official capacity of 1,586 prisoners, the jail currently holds over 3,000 inmates, of which nearly 85% are undertrial. The problem is not confined to Raipur alone. Across Chhattisgarh's 33 jails, there are over 20,000 inmates against a capacity of just 14,883. Most prisons in the state are facing a similar crisis of overcrowding, making security management increasingly difficult.
Nearly 40% of prisoners in Raipur Central Jail face charges of serious crimes such as murder, rape, and kidnapping.
The prisoners are usually assigned work based on their conduct and ability. Apart from cooking and gardening, several cottage industries run inside the jail, including soap and candle making, statue crafting, poultry farming, plumbing, and electrical fitting. Some works are carried out inside, while others extend to limited areas outside the jail.
