Two undertrials dig their way out of Tihar jail

NEW DELHI: Two undertrials lodged in Tihar Jail escaped through a tunnel they had dug under the perimeter wall early on Sunday. Unconfirmed reports said one of the fugitives has been caught, the other — said to be the more dangerous of the two — is still on the run.

The undertrials, who prison authorities are yet to identify, slipped out of sub-jail 7 to another which is connected to the perimeter wall. There, they dug a tunnel under the wall and escaped, early reports say.

The incident comes weeks after a stunning jailbreak in New York caught the world's attention. Two convicts escaped in that incident, one of them was later shot and the other is still at large.

During the day, the Tihar authorities realised something was amiss when the duo did not respond to the roll call. They raised an alarm and went looking for the missing inmates and stumbled upon the tunnel.

This was when Delhi Police was alerted which set off a massive manhunt. Tihar DG Alok Verma could not be reached for comment. Prison PRO Mukesh Prasad's phone remained switched off.

But prison and police sources confirmed the incident and added that the DG had inspected the spot the sub-jail where the tunnel had been dug. The duo were lodged in sub-jail 7 meant for prisoners aged 18-21. Sources said the undertrials may have used mechanical instruments to dig the tunnel.