Two prisoners, dressed as monkeys, escape from Uttarakhand jail during 'Ramleela' enactment

Lucknow: Dressed as monkeys, Pankaj and Rajkumar, inmates at the Roshnabad jail in Uttarakhand's Haridwar town, were part of the 'Ramleela' (dramatic enactment of Lord Rama's deeds) being staged inside the jail and were looking for 'Sita' (Lord Rama's consort).

Now the Uttarakhand police are looking for them.

The two prisoners, taking advantage of their attire and the ongoing construction work in the jail, managed to escape from the prison late on Friday (October 11) night.

The jail officials informed the police on Saturday (October 12) after the two prisoners could not be found in the jail after an extensive search.

According to the sources, Pankaj, a resident of Roorkee in Uttarakhand, had been sentenced to life imprisonment in a case of murder while Rajkumar, who was a resident of Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh, was an accused in a case of kidnapping and an undertrial.

Sources said that the two inmates used a stair which was kept there for the use of the workers engaged in the construction works being undertaken in the jail to climb over the walls. Most of the inmates as well as the jail staff were watching the Ramleela when the incident happened.

Six jail employees, including the guards, were suspended by the authorities for laxity, sources said.

A massive hunt has been launched to nab the two prisoners, police said, adding that the CCTV footage in the nearby areas was being examined to trace them.

Ramleela was organised in the Roshnabad jail every year during the Navratri festival. The prisoners take part in the Ramleela.