Dolpa. Preliminary investigation revealed that eight inmates took advantage of weak wall structure, soft soil and no CCTV surveillance to escape from Dolpa District Jail by digging a tunnel.
According to Jailer Long RC, the inmates removed the rod from the bedroom window and used it to dig a tunnel. All eight were kept in a separate hall-like room. It was seen that they dug a tunnel under the wall from the bedroom and exited through the safety tank of the toilet.
Jailor RC said that because there is no cement concrete structure (DPC) under the prison wall, it is easy to dig a tunnel from there. According to him, the prison is open in nature. As the area where the prisoners escaped is between two high walls and is not monitored by CCTV, it is not certain at what time they escaped.
According to a police officer assigned to investigate the incident, two pieces of small iron rods used for digging tunnels and an old stove used for cutting vegetables have been recovered. However, the official said that he could not confirm that the tunnel was dug by removing the window rod. An investigation is underway into how the inmates got the tools inside the prison.
According to the police, the length of the tunnel is 15 feet two inches or about four meters. Sandy soil has been found at the place where the tunnel was dug. Officials involved in the investigation said that the soil can be dug and removed by hand.
According to preliminary analysis of the police, the ground has become soft due to the rain that fell since Friday evening and the cold weather has made it easier to dig the tunnel. An official says that if eight people work together, the tunnel can be ready in one day. However, another police officer suspected that the inmates had been digging the tunnel for a few days as it looked old.
It is estimated by the police that they used a separate safety tank without water to dispose of the mud that came out after digging the tunnel. The police officer says that the tank is located between two high walls and is not even under CCTV surveillance, so no one may have known that the mud was dumped.
After the escape of eight prisoners, around 150 security personnel including Nepal Police and Armed Police have been mobilized to search for them. More than 100 policemen from various units of District Police Office Dolpa have been deployed at 25 locations while 33 members of armed police are also involved in the search.