Investigation underway into prison escape

An internal investigation is now underway to determine how 36-year-old remand prisoner Deshwar Dutt managed to escape from the Suva Corrections Center yesterday afternoon.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu said there has been some communication as Dutt escaped in a waiting vehicle.

He said they are closely monitoring Dutt’s whereabouts and working on some leads to arrest him soon.

Tudravu added their Operations team has been given 24 hours to apprehend Dutt.

Dutt of Waituri, Nausori, was in remand for his alleged role as the driver of the getaway vehicle used in the September Samabula BSP robbery.

Dutt jumped over the Correctional fence before getting into a waiting vehicle at around 2.30pm.

This is the second escape where the prisoners have gotten out of Suva Corrections Centre by climbing the fence.

Both escapes occurred on a Sunday.

We have asked the Fiji Correction Services to explain why these escapes are taking place and how the Corrections Officers could not notice Dutt escaping at 2.30pm.  

Road blocks have been erected and a team from the Police Special Response Unit has been deployed around the Southern, Central and Eastern divisions.

Tudravu said they will come down hard on people who are harboring prisoners.

 
Story by: Vijay Narayan & Ronal Deo