Only 4 of 40 runaway prisoners held so far, HC seeks fresh status report

Raipur: The Chhattisgarh high court has expressed concern over the slow progress in apprehending absconding prisoners in the state, noting that only four out of 40 such inmates have been arrested so far.Hearing a suo motu public interest litigation, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal reviewed an affidavit filed by the Chhattisgarh DGP, in compliance with its earlier order dated February 26, 2026. According to the affidavit, as of January 31, 2026, there were 37 absconding prisoners after one arrest. Subsequently, one more prisoner was apprehended and sent to Circle Jail in Ambikapur. As of April 22, 2026, the number of absconding prisoners stands at 36. The court noted that despite continuous efforts by the police, the pace of arrests remains limited. It was informed that senior police officials, including the police commissioner of Raipur and range inspectors general, have been directed to carry out a special drive to trace and arrest the remaining absconders. Authorities have also been instructed to ensure that the accused are produced before the concerned trial courts upon arrest and subsequently lodged in jail.The bench directed the DGP to file a fresh affidavit detailing the current number of absconding prisoners.