An inquiry instituted by former Bihar governor Buta Singh into the 2005 jailbreak by the banned CPI-Maoists to facilitate the escape of over 375 prisoners in Jehanabad has exposed 'serious lapses' on the part of the state's intelligence agencies.
The two-member probe panel, comprising senior IAS officer Jayshankar, currently posted in the state welfare department, and Inspector General of Police A C Verma said in its report submitted recently to the state government that there was 'complete failure of the state's intelligence units', a senior official told PTI on condition of anonymity.
Noting that had the information gathered by these units been looked into seriously, the report said the first-ever jailbreak involving the escape of such a large number of prisoners, particularly Maoist rebels, could have been avoided.
"It is suprising that Special Branch sleuths and the Jahanabad administration did not not get a smell of such a big mobilisation by the Maoists," the official said, quoting the report.
Over 1,000 Maoists laid virtual siege to Jehanabad town on the night of November 13, 2005 and freed over 130 Naxalites incarcerated in the prison in seven-hour period.
Among those who escaped was jailbreak mastermind Ajay Kanu, who was re-arrested a couple of weeks ago, officials said.
The report also highlighted the fact that security at the prison was 'lax' and there was a shortage of paramilitary personnel at the time of the Maoist operation that claimed 11 lives.