Choudwar Prison Escape: Two Odisha Jail Officials File Complaint Against Each Other

Cuttack: The escape of two prisoners from Choudwar Circle Jail in Odisha's Cuttack has triggered a serious internal conflict, with two senior jail officials lodging complaints against each other. Police have registered separate cases and begun investigations into the allegations.

Following a complaint filed by former Choudwar Circle Jail's jailer Santoshini Dash, now posted as the Kantabanji Sub-Jail's jailer, Choudwar police have registered a case against Jail Superintendent Sujit Kumar Roul. Police have already recorded the statement of the complainant and initiated an inquiry into the allegations.

Allegations of Forgery in Jail Records

According to the complaint, the jail gate entry and exit registers for October 1, 2 and 3, 2025 were deliberately tampered with. It has been alleged that forged entries were made to show that Roul was on duty inside the jail during these dates.

The complaint claims that on October 2, Roul had officially noted his absence due to personal work in Khordha. However, the jail registers were later altered to reflect his presence inside the prison throughout the day. Police have directed the jail authorities to submit relevant documents related to this matter.

Rejecting the allegations, Roul has said that the complaint filed by Dash is baseless. He has further claimed that during the Dussehra celebrations, Dash had brought the two inmates out of their cells and allowed them to move around, a lapse that allegedly led to their escape.

Counter Complaint Against Jailer

Superintendent Roul has filed a counter-complaint against Dash. He has accused her of financial irregularities in the jail canteen and negligence in guarding the two inmates who escaped. Roul has also alleged dereliction of duty on her part during the period leading up to the escape.

Police have registered a separate case based on this counter-complaint and are investigating both matters simultaneously.

Escape Incident Deepens Controversy

The controversy stems from the escape of two notorious Bihar-based criminals, Raja Sahani and Madhukant Kumar, on October 3, 2025, during Dussehra celebrations. Since the escape, the Choudwar jail has remained under scrutiny, while the two fugitives are still at large.

As part of the investigation, police have seized CCTV footage from the jail covering the day of the escape and the preceding days.