Two undertrial inmates who escaped from the high-security Central Jail in Srinagar on August 23 have been apprehended in the Rajgarh area of Churu district, Rajasthan, with the assistance of the Rajasthan Police.
Farman Khan had been lodged in the jail since June 23, 2026, in connection with an FIR registered at the Lar police station in Ganderbal district. Mukhtar Ahmed Gujar had been in custody since April 13, 2026, linked to an FIR at the Soura police station in Srinagar. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which has been responsible for the armed security of the jail’s inner and outer perimeters since October 2023, has initiated a preliminary inquiry into the breach. It has a sanctioned capacity of around 509 prisoners but routinely holds well over that number. Responsibility for inner and outer perimeter security was transferred to the CISF on October 3, 2023. Despite this enhanced security cover, the two inmates managed to scale the front wall on the morning of August 23 and escape. Authorities aim to address any identified gaps swiftly to prevent a similar breach at a facility housing more than 500 inmates, many of whom pose a serious threat to public safety and national security.
Because these central jails house inmates linked to terrorism, the force was brought in specifically. The Srinagar Police launched a large-scale manhunt immediately after the breakout, deploying technical surveillance and tracking efforts across multiple regions. Officials have confirmed the arrests, and police teams from Srinagar have already left for Rajasthan to escort both men back to Jammu and Kashmir. Police had issued lookout notices, announced rewards for information leading to their arrest, and appealed to the public for tips. The CISF’s deployment introduced a specialized, multi-layered security architecture that includes strict access control, visitor screening, electronic surveillance systems, non-linear junction detectors, dual-view X-ray baggage scanners, handheld metal detectors, Quick Reaction Teams, perimeter patrols, and continuous monitoring of inmate movement. The CISF has launched a preliminary inquiry to reconstruct the sequence of events, examine how the wall was scaled, and determine whether internal security protocols were compromised.
Continuous monitoring eventually located the duo in Rajgarh, where they were taken into custody. The escapees are Farman Khan, a resident of Sadanpora, Rajasthan, and Mukhtar Ahmed Gujar, a resident of Sanglan Chittergul in the Anantnag district of south Kashmir. Both were undertrials in separate cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act—specifically sections dealing with penetrative sexual assault—along with relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The two men fled by scaling the front wall of the facility. The successful apprehension three days after the escape ends the immediate manhunt. However, investigations into the jailbreak itself continue, as the breach at what is regarded as the most secure jail in Jammu and Kashmir has raised serious questions about security arrangements. Srinagar Central Jail, located near Mohalla Hathi Khan in Kathidarwara, is the oldest prison in the region and is widely considered the most secure facility in the Union Territory. A significant portion of the inmate population includes local and foreign terrorists, over-ground workers supporting terror networks, and other high-risk undertrials and convicts linked to serious crimes, including offenses under anti-terror laws. The same model was later extended to the Kot Bhalwal Central Jail in Jammu. The incident has raised sharp questions regarding surveillance, perimeter checks, physical infrastructure, watchtower manning, real-time monitoring, and possible procedural or human-factor lapses. A comprehensive review of the jail’s security architecture is currently underway. The review will cover physical barriers, wall integrity, CCTV coverage, blind spots, staff deployment patterns, shift management, surveillance effectiveness, and coordination between CISF personnel and the jail administration.
