Military
Two Prisoners Flee Srinagar Central Jail as CISF Launches Preliminary Investigation
Published On Mon, 24 Aug 2026
Devansh Menon
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The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has launched a preliminary enquiry into the escape of two inmates from Srinagar Central Jail on Sunday morning, officials said. The prisoners allegedly escaped after scaling the front-side wall of the high-security prison. The escaped inmates have been identified as Farman Khan, son of Abdul Gani Khan and a resident of Sadanpora in Rajasthan, and Mukhtar Ahmed Gujar, son of Mohammad Rafiq from Sanglan Chittergul in Anantnag district.
Officials said the preliminary enquiry has been ordered to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine how the two inmates managed to breach the jail's security. The CISF is also assisting the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the investigation and the search operation to trace the prisoners. Farman Khan was lodged in Central Jail Srinagar on June 23, 2026. He is facing a case registered under FIR No. 19/2026 under Sections 137(2) and 87 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 3 and 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Mukhtar Ahmed Gujar was admitted to the jail on April 13, 2026. He is facing a case registered under FIR No. 20/2026 under Sections 137(2) and 65(1) of the BNS and Sections 3 and 4 of the POCSO Act. Following the escape, security agencies and the Jammu and Kashmir Police launched efforts to locate the two inmates. Investigators are examining the circumstances of the escape, including the security arrangements and how the prisoners were able to scale the prison's front wall.
According to officials, the CISF's preliminary enquiry is an internal fact-finding exercise aimed at collecting information and establishing the sequence of events. A formal Departmental Enquiry could be initiated after the police investigation is completed if any personnel are found to have potentially violated service rules or neglected their duties. The CISF has been responsible for security at Central Jail Srinagar since October 3, 2022, and at Kot Balwal Jail in Jammu since October 19, 2023. The force secures the inner and outer perimeters of the facilities using trained personnel, surveillance systems and access-control measures.
More than 1,500 inmates, including several accused or convicted in terror-related cases, are housed in these jails. Authorities had earlier lodged foreign terrorists in the facilities but later shifted many of them outside Jammu and Kashmir citing security concerns. Further details about the escape, possible security lapses and the search for the two inmates are awaited.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.
