A prisoner held in connection with murder and kidnapping cases on Saturday escaped from Malir District Jail, also known as Landhi Jail, prompting the authorities to register a criminal case and launch an inquiry into the incident.
The escape has raised serious concerns over security arrangements inside one of Karachi’s major prisons. According to police, a case regarding the prisoner’s escape has been registered at the Shah Latif Town Police Station on the complaint of the assistant superintendent of the prison. The FIR states that a ceremony titled ‘Fight for Truth’ was taking place inside the prison when officials conducted search of the Barrack No. 1 and discovered that inmate Syed Tahir, alias Naveed Polka, was missing.
The FIR revealed that the escaped prisoner had been arrested by the Jauharabad investigation police in connection with serious criminal allegations, including murder and kidnapping. He had later been sent to judicial custody and remanded to jail on April 27.
Following preliminary investigations, four prison officials, including the baton in-charge, had been nominated in the case over alleged negligence and failure to prevent the escape. The authorities believe lapses in monitoring and prison management may have contributed to the incident.
The matter also drew the attention of Sindh’s prisons authorities with Sindh Prisons Minister Ali Hassan Zardari taking immediate notice of the incident. Expressing concern over the escape, the minister ordered a transparent inquiry to determine how the inmate managed to flee from the high-security prison facility.
In response to the incident, officials of the prison department considered responsible for negligence have been suspended, while legal proceedings have been initiated. The minister warned that strict action would be taken against any officers or personnel found involved in serious negligence or misconduct.
In the FIR, the complainant, SI Waheed, stated that on Saturday a ceremony was held in support for the Pakistani armed forces inside the jail, in which the jail staff was busy. He added that after the ceremony, he at 6:30pm checked the Barrack 1 where Naveed, son of Syed Riazuddin, had been incarcerated following his remand in judicial custody on April 27 by the order of the Judicial Magistrate Consumer Protection District Central Karachi.
The inmate was not found in the barracks. Bat Incharge Mohsin Ali Mewar, HC Ashraf, PC Noor Ahmed Balo and Mari Gatekeeper Aziz Mughal were on duty at that time and their alleged negligence resulted in his escape, stated the FIR. Further investigations are under way.
