Two days after UP prison freed gangster Ravi Kana without nod, jail superintendent suspended for negligence

NOIDA: Banda jail superintendent Vikram Singh Yadav was suspended on Saturday for alleged negligence of duty, a day after a Noida CJM court issued a show-cause notice to him over the release of undertrial gangster Ravi Kana without a court order.

Police have, meanwhile, launched a manhunt for Kana, a scrap tycoon accused of building an empire through coercion and intimidation. Five teams have been formed to trace him, police said.


The action against the jail superintendent followed proceedings before GB Nagar chief judicial magistrate (CJM) court, which took serious note of Kana's release from Banda district jail on Jan 29. CJM Sanjeev Kumar Tripathi had on Friday sought his explanation on why it should not direct the registration of an FIR against him for allowing a prisoner to escape from custody after it was informed that Kana had been released despite remand proceedings being conducted via video conference in connection with a case registered in Noida.

According to officials, the CJM court had issued a B-warrant against Kana, directing that he be produced before it in a case registered at Sector 63 police station in Noida. The FIR invoked Sections 308(5) (creating fear of death or grievous injury), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 3(5) (common criminal intention) of the BNS.

Kana, who was lodged in a GB Nagar jail in connection with multiple cases, was transferred to Banda district jail in Aug 2024 for administrative reasons. On Thursday, he was produced before the Noida court through a video link from Banda jail. Later that evening, he was released, despite the B-warrant being in force.

In its order issued on Jan 30, the Directorate General of Prison Administration and Correctional Services said Vikram Singh Yadav, the jailer of Banda district jail, was responsible for releasing the undertrial prisoner, even after receiving information about the pending B-warrant in the Noida case.

The order said the jailer was prima facie guilty of dereliction of duty and that departmental proceedings under Rule 7 of the Uttar Pradesh Government Servant (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1999 were being contemplated. He was placed under suspension with immediate effect and attached to the Dr Sampurnanand Jail Training Institute.

Meanwhile, Noida police said five teams are working to trace Kana. "Two teams are in Banda district to track his movement after he was released. His mobile phone is switched off, so CCTV footage and road surveillance are being used," a senior officer said. "The remaining teams are coordinating with other agencies, as there is a possibility that he may try to flee towards Nepal."

Kana is accused of amassing wealth by coercing industrial units into awarding him scrap and rebar contracts across the NCR. He was booked under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act in 2024. His criminal history dates back to 2013, when he was first booked in Ghaziabad's Vijay Nagar area in a dacoity case. Over the next several years, at least eight more cases were registered against him on charges including extortion, wrongful confinement, cheating, assault, dacoity and harbouring an offender who escaped from police custody.

In late 2023, two cases were registered against Kana in connection with the alleged gang rape of a woman at the surface parking lot of the Gardens Galleria mall in Noida.

The Gangsters Act case against him was registered in Jan 2024 at Beta 2 police station. His wife, Madhu, and 14 others, including close associate Kajal Jha, were named as co-accused.

He had allegedly fled to Thailand on Jan 1, 2024, after a non-bailable arrest warrant was registered. He was deported from Bangkok in April that year with Jha and subsequently arrested from IGIC airport on landing.