In a serious security breach, three undertrial prisoners escaped from Mokokchung District Jail at 3:36 a.m. on October 30, exposing critical lapses in night supervision, poor surveillance, and the deteriorating state of the jail’s infrastructure.

Speaking to media persons, Superintendent of District Jail Mokokchung, L Bumeng Khiam narrated the sequence of events surrounding the incident. He informed that the three accused — Sukam Ali (20), Roshida Ali (26), and Habibullah Islam (21) — were transferred from Wokha Sub-Jail to Mokokchung District Jail on August 21, 2025, after the boundary wall of Wokha Sub-Jail collapsed on August 16. The trio had been lodged in Mokokchung for about two months.

According to Khiam, on October 21, the inmates complained of a skin disease and were sent for medical examination. The attending doctor advised that they be kept separately to prevent the spread of infection. Following the recommendation, they were placed together in a separate ward on October 24.

“Very unfortunately, this morning at around 3:36 a.m., we received a report from our subordinate officer that the three accused had escaped from the jail,” Khiam stated. He said he immediately visited the site to assess the situation.

The Superintendent said that the ward where the inmates were kept is very old and in a deteriorated condition, adding that the concrete cement had ‘expired’. The prisoners reportedly broke through the bathroom-side wall using the handle of a broken spoon, scraping off the cement and removing bricks to make a small hole through which they escaped.

Once outside, the trio moved toward the outer gate area and used bedsheets, shirts, and pants tied together to climb up a weathered concrete wall near the blue metal gate. They then fled northward, exiting through the Jail Colony road leading to the National Highway.

The incident occurred during the fourth and final night shift (2 a.m.–6 a.m.). Khiam said four security jawans were on duty during that shift, responsible for guarding eight wards. “The jawans might have walked to check another area when the escape happened,” he said, adding that the lock-up time is at 4 p.m. daily.

Among the four jawans, three were posted near the wards while one was stationed at the main gate. Khiam revealed that the CCTV cameras are operational only during the daytime and evening hours, as there are no personnel to monitor them at night.

“The night vision system is there but not working properly,” he admitted, noting that this contributed to the lack of visual evidence. When asked about the dim lighting around the premises, the Superintendent responded that lights are not kept on at night for security reasons, which may have further aided the escape. It was observed that the watch tower of the jail is currently non-functional, further limiting night surveillance and external monitoring.

Download Nagaland Tribune app on Google Play

Acknowledging the deteriorated condition of the District Jail, Khiam stressed the urgent need for upgradation and reconstruction.

“Yes, upgradation is needed. We have been sending proposals for infrastructure reconstruction from time to time, but if the government is not positive, there’s nothing we can do,” he said, adding that “it’s not about playing the blame game — whether on the government or on us”, but about recognizing the real issue of poor infrastructure that continues to affect security and management within the jail.

He further cautioned that if the infrastructure is not maintained or upgraded, such incidents are bound to recur, despite the best efforts of the jail staff to maintain vigilance and discipline.

Following the incident, an FIR was lodged at Police Station-1, Mokokchung, under the subject “Escape of Three Male Undertrial Prisoners.” The report included the details of the three escapees and stated that they were admitted to Mokokchung Jail on August 21, 2025. Copies of the report were forwarded to the Senior SP Mokokchung, Deputy Commissioner Mokokchung, SP Wokha, and the Session Judges of both districts.

Khiam informed that the matter has been handed over to the police, including the SP, Addl. SP, and SDPO, for further investigation.

The Superintendent stated that a total of 57 inmates, including 26 from Wokha, are currently lodged in the Mokokchung District Jail. He said the department will now take measures to tighten CCTV monitoring, review the night duty system, and strengthen overall security protocols to prevent such incidents in the future.