AJK police rearrest 15 out of 18 prisoners who had fled Rawalakot jail

Of total 18 prisoners, who had escaped from the District Jail Rawalakot, the district and divisional headquarters of Poonch, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) over a month ago, 15 have been rearrested, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Wednesday.

Sources in the police told 24News that raids were being carried out for the arrest of the remaining three prisoners.  

Talking to the media, SP Poonch Riaz Mughal has said that soon the remaining absconders will too be in the police’s custody.

He has said that the recapture of 15 prisoners within a month is a great achievement and has restored the people’s confidence in the law-enforcement agencies.

In what could be termed a major security breach in the AJK, 19 prisoners, including six on death row, had escaped from the prison on June 30, 2024.  Later, one of them was gunned down.

The 30-year-old prison located adjacent to the district courts of Rawalakot had been in a dilapidated state for quite some time.

The jailbreak had prompted the police to take eight prison officials, including the deputy superintendent, into custody for investigation while the AJK government also formed a committee to investigate the incident within a week.

Reporter: Syed Masood Gardezi