New Delhi: A dramatic incident unfolded during a Ramleela performance at the Haridwar jail. Two inmates, dressed as ‘Vanaras’ (monkeys) for the performance, seized the opportunity and escaped the jail.
During a scene where Lord Ram’s allies search for Maa Sita, the two prisoners, playing the roles of the Vanaras, went ‘in search of Sita’ themselves by scaling the prison’s boundary walls.
A video of the Ramleela was shared by a user on X, who wrote, “The incident happened last night. During the Ramleela performance, two prisoners escaped from Haridwar jail. While the search for Mother Sita was being enacted, the two prisoners dressed as monkeys jumped over the wall. Everyone was engrossed in the Ramleela, and they used a ladder to escape. Both are guilty of heinous crimes. More than 500 prisoners are already absconding from state jails, and now two more have fled. The search is on.”
घटना बीती रात की है। रामलीला मंचन के दौरान हरिद्वार जेल से दो कैदी फ़रार हो गए। इधर माता सीता की खोज हो रही थी उधर दो वानर रूपी कैदी दीवार फाँद कर भाग निकले। सब रामलीला मंचन के दृश्यों में डूब थे और ये दोनों सीढ़ी लगाकर दीवार लांघ गए।
फ़रार हुए दोनों क़ैदी जघन्य अपराधों के दोषी… pic.twitter.com/7SNcwfme5u— Ajit Singh Rathi (@AjitSinghRathi) October 12, 2024
The two inmates have been identified as Pankaj from Roorkee, who has been serving life imprisonment since July 2023, and Rajkumar from Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, who has been in jail since August 2024 and is currently under trial. One was convicted of murder, and the other was charged with kidnapping.
Reports suggest they used a ladder to scale the walls, which didn’t raise suspicion due to ongoing construction work in the area, Republic reported.
Haridwar District Magistrate Kamendra Singh called it a case of gross negligence and assured strict action against those responsible within the jail administration.
