Quick action by cops ropes in 5 of 6 jailbreak fugitives

ONLY RUDRA THAPA STILL AT LARGE

GANGTOK, 12 Jan: Swift and coordinated action by Sikkim Police has resulted in 5 of the 6 convicts who escaped from the State Jail here yesterday being nabbed. The fugitives began to be nabbed from last night itself and the fifth was brought back into custody at around 5:45 this evening.
Various branches of the Sikkim Police, including the armed police, the IRBn, Home Guards along with the personnel from the Sadar, Pakyong and Ranipool police stations were deployed throughout the night and their efforts have ensured that the cops have been able to pull back some pride. While 3 of the fugitive jailbirds were nabbed last night itself from the Ranipool area, one more was apprehended this morning from Pakyong, and the fifth was nabbed this evening from Lower Syari near Gangtok.
The three picked up from Saramsa near Ranipool last night are Yogesh Karki, 25, of Soreong, West Sikkim; Prashant Sarkar, 25, of Jalpaiguri and Puran Rai, 22, of Munsong, Darjeeling. They were picked up in combined efforts of the various branches of the police late at night on 10 January and immediately taken to the Ranipool police station for interrogation to ascertain the whereabouts of the others.
It is informed that the three did not put up much of a fight and that they were very tired when the police came upon them and swiftly grabbed the three near Saramsa.
This morning, the police picked up Shekhar Roy, 40, of Jalpaiguri, from the Changey Senti forest area under Pakyong police jurisdiction. He had reportedly trekked through the night down from Rongyek, through the Bhusuk forests into Changey Senti aiming to make it to the Bhutan border. The police had spread out in combing operations throughout the night in search of the escapees.
Laxman Mahaley of Jaigon was discovered in the forests of Lower Syari this evening at around 5:45. He is believed to have suffered a leg injury and was reportedly left behind somewhere in the Bhusuk forests by the rest.
With this fifth arrest, the only fugitive still a large is Rudra Thapa of Nepal who was serving time for a murder in Jorethang.
It is learnt that when Laxuman Mahaley could not keep up with the rest, they left him behind and then Rudra Thapa is informed to have broken away from the rest, deciding to make his way alone.
 The police have charged all six with jail breaking under section 224 of the IPC. The five already in custody were lodged at the Sadar thana till late evening today and have since been sent back to the State Jail.
All 6, it may be recalled, were in the state jail on different charges of murder and were serving life terms. Their escape took place between 1 to 2 pm on Wednesday when they scaled the 20 foot jail walls with the help of a makeshift ladder and other materials including pliers acquired from the prison workshop.

Report on jailbreak submitted to Home Dept
GANGTOK, 12 Jan: A detailed report of the jail-break incident has been submitted to the Home Department by the Sikkim State Jail authorities. The state and district prisons come under the charge of the Home Department. The Department will examine the report, and on the basis of this make take further action. It is possible that an enquiry will be instituted to look into the causes and lapses which led to the escape of 6 murder convicts from the State Jail at Rongyek. There are already whispers of some personnel likely to be suspended, however, it has been confirmed that so far no such action has been initiated.