Shillong: The Meghalaya government has set up two probe panels to investigate the Jowai jailbreak and subsequent lynching of four of the fugitives by locals in the West Jaintia Hills district.
Meghalaya Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui said this in the Assembly on Monday.
Minister Rymbui said a mob of around 5000 people was involved in the lynching on Sunday of three undertrial prisoners and a convict who had escaped from the district jail on September 10.
“The additional superintendent of police has been entrusted to conduct an inquiry into the reason and circumstance that led to the jailbreak. Additional district magistrate P K Boro has been entrusted to inquire into the matter of the jailbreak,” Rymbui told the Assembly in a statement on the matter.
Another officer, M A Shallam has been deputed to conduct the inquest on the bodies of the four prison escapees who were declared brought dead by doctors of the civil hospital, he said.
The minister, however, did not announce any legal action by the state against those involved in the lynching.
The head warden of Jowai jail head, C Kynjing, three jail officials and a subordinate staff were arrested in connection with the jailbreak, he said.
Rymbui said a total of five undertrial prisoners and a convicted had overpowered the jail staff and injured them before fleeing.
He said a policeman was attacked with a sharp weapon and was hospitalized.
Stating that two fugitives, both undertrial prisoners are still out, minister Rymbui urged the people not to “take the law into their own hands” when dealing with unlawful activities.
“Please cooperate with law enforcement agencies on any matter. Let the law take its own course,” he appealed.
According to the police, five of the six fugitives had reached Shangpung village on Sunday.
One of them was identified by the locals when he went to a wayside shop to buy food at around 3 pm and the entire area was alerted.
This led to a large number of locals to turn up and chase the fugitives to a nearby forest before attacking them. Four prisoners died in the attack, while one of them, named Ramesh Dkhar, managed to escape, Rabon said.