Prisoner escapes from Raipur Central Jail, exposes lapses in security arrangement

The escape of a prisoner from Raipur Central Jail has exposed serious lapses in the prison’s security system. The fugitive has been identified as Chandraveer Singh, a convict under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, who has been serving his sentence since 2021.

Officials said Singh escaped around 2:30 pm on Thursday while engaged in welding work near the under-construction women’s jail block. Taking advantage of the limited supervision, he managed to flee from custody. Singh had been convicted of drug trafficking in July last year and was serving 15 years of rigorous imprisonment with an additional fine of ₹3 lakh.

The incident has raised alarm, as Raipur Central Jail houses several high-profile inmates, including Maoists and members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, is also lodged in the facility. With an official capacity of 1,586 inmates, the jail currently holds more than 3,000 prisoners, reflecting the state’s deepening prison overcrowding crisis.

Across Chhattisgarh’s 33 jails, over 20,000 inmates are confined against a capacity of just 14,883. Nearly 40% of prisoners in Raipur Central Jail face charges of serious crimes, including murder, rape, and kidnapping. The escape has intensified calls for urgent reforms in prison management and security vigilance.