Security in all Bihar jails tightened for possible Naxalite attacks

Patna, July 30 (UNI) Security has been tightened in all jails in Bihar, following intelligence reports of possible Maoist attacks in some of them this week.

Official sources, quoting intelligence reports from several Maoist-affected districts, here today informed that the guerillas had been planning to storm into several high security jails, including those at Gaya, Bhagalpur,Sitamarhi, Motihari and even in Patna, in well-coordinated sudden attacks. This will be an effort to free many of their comrades to mark the 29th anniversary of the killing of Charu Majumdar, one of the founder members of the Naxalite movement in the early 1970s, during this week.

On the basis of such intelligence reports, the authorities had left nothing to chance and made foolproof arrangements to beef up security in all the jails in Bihar to protect the inmates, besides preventing any escape attempt, the sources added.

About any special step in extremists-dominated districts, the sources said additional forces had already been deployed in all the jails in these districts and special care was being taken to prevent any sudden attack even during the night.

Apart from installing several powerful searchlights, the number of watch towers and armed guards had been increased substantially as part of the security measures, they said.

Moreover, the government had decided to cancel leave applications of all jail staff across the state during this fortnight and asked them to remain alert and inform the authorities about any suspected movement of the inmates, particularly those who were held in connection with extremist violence.

''We do not want to be caught off-guard in any of the jails in the event of an attack, like the one that took place in November 2005, when several criminals were freed following a sudden attack in the Jehanabad jail by the Maoist guerillas,'' the sources pointed out.

UNI