Serial rapist and murderer escapes, high alert issued in Karnataka

Bangalore, Sept 2: In what appears to be a scene straight out of a Bollywood film, jail authorities are perplexed at the escape of a serial rapist and murderer from one of the most highly secured jails in the country.

Jail authorities at the Central Jail at Parappana Agrahara were shocked when serial rapist and murderer M Jaishankar escaped the prison on Saturday night. According to reports, Jaishankar wore a police uniform and used duplicate keys and managed to get past the barriers inside as well as outside the jail.

He then managed to scale two inner walls, both 15 feet high and an outside perimeter wall that is over 30 feet high using pole. Even the outside perimeter wall, that is fenced with barbed wires and glass pieces, could not stop Jaishankar from escaping.

The escape, a first in the history of the jail, has brought to light many lapses on the jail's part. One, out of the 18 CCTV cameras that are all entry and exit points, only two function properly. Two, he managed to get a duplicate key of his cell, which according to reports seems to be an insider's work.

According to reports, the power was switched off at the right time, which made his escape easy and disabled the electric fencing of the prison compound wall. He, allegedly used a pair of rubber gloves to avoid being electrocuted.

Jail officials came to know about his escape only on Sunday morning, when the warden came for inspection and realised he was missing.

Post his escape, as many as 11 officials were suspended from their duties including an assiatant suprintendent, two jailers and a chief warden.

Jaishankar donned the police uniform and escaped

34-year-old Jaishankar, is wanted in nearly 30 cases of rape and 15 cases murder across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. A truck driver by profession, he is married and has three children. He used to target lonely women and prostitutes and would first rape them and then brutally murder them.

How it all unfolded

Jaishankar was taken to Tumkur for a court hearing on Saturday and was brought back in the evening. He complained of uneasiness on the way and was then taken to the hospital, within the jail premises, where he was given a psychiatric treatment, after which he returned to his cell.

He shared the cell with another inmate, whom he had spoken to at night, before the latter slept off. He then used the keys to open his cell and then managed to cross the three walls.

According to police officials, there were some blood stains on the perimeter wall and outside it. The jail authorities said that Jaishankar may have managed to escape but he is surely hurt and was bleeding because the perimeter wall has glass pieces and barb wires all around.

However, this is not the first time he is escaping from police custody. Earlier, he had escaped from the Tamil Nadu police custody in 2011. The police have described him as a 'dangerous criminal' and have issued a high alert in the state and in Tamil Nadu.

OneIndia News