Ayodhya jail escape: CCTV cameras were not working for 16 hours

Lucknow: A high-level inquiry into the escape of two inmates from Ayodhya district jail revealed serious security lapses, including the failure of a crucial CCTV camera installed on the main boundary wall, which remained dysfunctional for nearly 16 hours on the night of the jailbreak.The disclosure was made in the inquiry report submitted by DIG (prisons), Ayodhya range, Shailendra Kumar Maitreya, following which strict action was initiated against 15 jail officials, including the senior jail superintendent and the jailer.The incident occurred on the night of Jan 28, when two inmates — Golu Agrahari alias Suraj, a resident of Musafirkhana in Amethi district, and Sher Ali from Sultanpur — escaped from the high-security barrack of Ayodhya jail. Both prisoners are involved in serious criminal cases, including murder, dacoity and rape.According to the inquiry, the inmates managed to break through the wall of their barrack, climbed a tree, and then scaled the jail's boundary wall to flee.During the investigation, it was found that four CCTV cameras installed on the main wall — precisely the side from which the prisoners escaped — were non-functional from 6:30pm on Jan 28 and resumed operation only at around 10:30am the next day.The DIG's report stated that if the camera was operational, the escape would have been captured on footage, helping authorities determine the exact timing and manner of the jailbreak.The camera became dysfunctional for over 16 hours. Alarmingly, jail authorities failed to notice the malfunction throughout the night.The probe further revealed that although the jail has 52 CCTV cameras, at least four were non-functional at the time.However, official records falsely showed all cameras as operational.The inquiry highlighted that if monitoring staff were alert, the malfunction — especially of a camera covering the main wall — would have been detected immediately.The DIG's investigation concluded that the suspended officials were guilty of gross negligence and dereliction of duty, leading to one of the most serious security breaches at Ayodhya jail in recent years. Further action is expected once the departmental proceedings are completed.