BUXAR: MURDER CONVICT ESCAPES FROM OPEN JAIL

PATNA: The police have launched a manhunt for a murder convict who escaped from the open jail facility in Buxar prison on Sunday.

Jodhan Sahni, 47, who has been undergoing life imprisonment, was reported missing from the prison around 6 pm, almost 12 hours after he left the prison for treatment at Sadar Hospital, located near the jail premises.

“A court convicted him in a murder case in 2009 and awarded him life imprisonment. He was earlier lodged at the Bhagalpur Central Jail and was shifted to the open jail at Buxar in 2020. A search has been launched,” said a prison official, on condition of anonymity.

The open jail concept has been introduced in 13 states of the country to encourage good conduct and self-discipline among inmates. As per Bihar Jail Manual 2008, well-behaved life term convicts over 30 years of age and belonging to the state, are eligible to be considered for open jail after spending 10 years behind bars, among other criteria. Inmates convicted either for planned mass murder, murder of a public servant, or under the National Security Act, or court-martialed, aren’t considered for open jail.

The Buxar open jail was inaugurated in 2012 and it currently accommodates 50 inmates, along with their dependents.

According to the FIR lodged by prison authorities, Sahni, who was staying in the open jail with his wife, slipped away after gaining permission to go to the Sadar Hospital on Sunday morning. “Around 6.10 am, he left for the hospital for treatment, but did not return till 6pm,” said Dinesh Kumar Malakar, the station house officer (SHO) of the town police station. He said a police team has been dispatched for Bhagalpur to search him.

A senior prison official said this was perhaps the first instance of a prisoner escaping from the open jail in Bihar.