Two prisoners escape overnight from Ayodhya district jail, Senior jail staff suspended

Two undertrial prisoners escaped from a high-security barrack of Ayodhya district jail in the early hours of Thursday after allegedly breaking through a portion of the cell wall near an iron grille, triggering suspension of senior jail officials and a probe into the security lapse.

The escape was detected during the routine morning headcount conducted between 6 am and 6.30 am , when jail staff found Cell No. 04 of Special Security Ward-I empty. Both inmates had been locked inside the cell on Wednesday evening, officials said.

The missing prisoners were identified as Sher Ali , a resident of Sultanpur district, and Golu Agrahari from Amethi district. Sher Ali has been lodged in jail since November 2024 in connection with a criminal case involving robbery and arms possession , while Golu Agrahari was arrested in September 2025 for his alleged role in a serious assault and extortion case . Both were awaiting trial.

When warders called out the inmates’ names during inspection and received no response, they entered the cell and found bricks dislodged from the rear wall near an iron grille. Investigators believe the prisoners gradually loosened the bricks over time and used the gap to slip out of the barrack during the night.

Senior prison officials said the jailbreak points to negligence in supervision and possible lapses in night patrolling. A preliminary inquiry was conducted by Deputy Inspector General (Prisons), Ayodhya Range , Shailendra Kumar Maitreya .

Based on his findings, the state government ordered the suspension of Senior Superintendent of Jail Uday Pratap Mishra and initiated departmental proceedings against him. Jailer Jitendra Kumar Yadav and Deputy Jailer Mayank Tripathi have also been suspended . Departmental action has further been initiated against two head warders and six jail warders posted in the high-security ward.

Police teams have been formed to track down the escapees, and checkpoints have been set up in surrounding districts. Authorities said efforts are underway to determine whether the prisoners received any outside assistance or exploited structural weaknesses in the barrack.

A detailed investigation into the security breach is continuing, and jail authorities have begun a comprehensive review of surveillance, night duty protocols and structural safety of prison cells to prevent similar incidents in the future.