A wave of apprehension has swept across West Tripura after ten Bangladeshi juveniles dramatically escaped from the Narsinghgarh Detention Camp on the night of Saptami, exposing significant vulnerabilities in the state’s security apparatus. The mass breakout has triggered pointed questions regarding the adequacy of existing arrangements at such sensitive facilities.
Official sources reveal that the Narsinghgarh Detention Camp is strategically located adjacent to a Juvenile Home. This camp serves as a transitional facility for Bangladeshi nationals and other foreign detainees who have completed their sentences at the Juvenile Home, awaiting the finalization of their repatriation process to their respective home countries. Security protocols at this facility are designed to be a joint effort, with responsibilities shared between dedicated police personnel and staff deputed from the Department of Social Welfare and Social Education.
Despite these layered security provisions, a staggering ten Bangladeshi minors collectively managed to abscond from the camp on Saturday night. Compounding the gravity of the situation, a significant period has passed since the escape, and none of the escapees have been located or apprehended so far. Police officials, when questioned, have remained conspicuously tight-lipped, offering no concrete details or assurances regarding the whereabouts or the ongoing search operation for the missing individuals.
This alarming incident comes on the heels of another recent and concerning security breach in Dharmanagar, where six inmates of a Sub-Jail executed an assault on a prison guard before making their escape. While authorities in the Dharmanagar case have successfully re-arrested two of the fugitives, the complete lack of success in tracing any of the ten escapees from Narsinghgarh amplifies the growing concerns about systemic lapses and potential negligence within the state’s detention and correctional facilities.
Local voices are increasingly vocal, with allegations surfacing that attempts are being made to downplay the severity and implications of the Narsinghgarh episode. It is not the first time that such a security breach has occurred at this particular facility; there have been previous instances of Bangladeshi detainees escaping, though they were subsequently recaptured. Authorities had reportedly been in the advanced stages of preparing the necessary paperwork and logistical arrangements to repatriate the current group of juveniles to Bangladesh, adhering strictly to due process. However, their untimely escape has pre-empted these formalities.
The large-scale evasion has ignited widespread public uproar across the region, putting the police administration squarely on the back foot. Demands for immediate accountability, thorough investigations into the security failures, and significantly bolstered vigilance at all detention facilities are now echoing throughout the community, as residents grapple with the implications of so many unsupervised minors being at large.
