Tripura police and Border Security Force (BSF) have ramped up search efforts after discovering that 10 Bangladeshi juveniles have been missing from a detention camp near Agartala for the past five days.The situation remained under wraps until last evening, when the police began searching local areas.As per the police report, the juveniles escaped from the Narsinghgarh camp, located close to the airport along the Indo-Bangladesh border, on September 29, coinciding with the first day of Durga Puja, despite significant security measures in place.
The Director General of Police has mandated an inquiry into how this escape occurred from a high-security facility and has requested a detailed report.He assured that aside from the border guards, other security agencies have been placed on heightened alert, with ongoing search operations in effect.The fact that the police have been unable to locate the missing individuals for five days raises concerns, as it suggests they may have crossed into Bangladesh, exploiting security lapses along the border. Congress MLA Sudip Roybarman expressed skepticism, questioning the actions of both on-duty police and BSF personnel.
Located adjacent to the Juvenile Home in Narsinghgarh, the detention camp serves as a temporary holding facility for Bangladeshi nationals and other foreign detainees who are moved there after serving their sentences, pending repatriation arrangements to their home countries.
Security at the facility is jointly managed by police officers and staff from the Department of Social Welfare and Social Education. However, the recent escape of 10 Bangladeshi minors has raised serious concerns about the effectiveness of these security measures.
This incident follows closely on the heels of another troubling event in Dharmanagar, North Tripura, where six inmates from the Sub-Jail attacked a prison guard and made their escape. Of those who fled, two have since been apprehended.
This is not the first instance of such a security breach at Narsinghgarh; previous cases of Bangladeshi detainees escaping have also been reported, with those individuals eventually being recaptured.Authorities had been in the process of preparing to repatriate the current group of juveniles to Bangladesh in accordance with legal procedures, but their escape occurred before these formalities could be concluded.The large-scale escape has triggered significant backlash in the community and put pressure on law enforcement, prompting calls for accountability and enhanced security measures within detention facilities.(UNI)
