Parole, premature release under process, 64-year-old murder convict flees Nahan jail

A 64-year-old life convict escaped from the open jail of Nahan’s Model Central Jail, just days before his parole and premature release were being processed. The absconding inmate, Harish Kumar, a resident of Shahabad in Haryana, had been serving a life term for murder for the past 20 years.

Official sources said Harish managed to flee from the open jail premises on Thursday evening. Known for his disciplined conduct, he had recently been shifted from the closed jail section to the open area and assigned to perform religious duties at the temple within the campus. For the last six months, he had been serving as a temple caretaker, earning the trust of jail authorities.

The incident came to light during the evening roll call when Harish Kumar was found missing, triggering alarm among prison staff. Despite an intensive search on the premises, he could not be located and was declared absconding. Soon after, the Nahan jail authorities alerted the police, who registered a case and launched a manhunt.

Ironically, Harish Kumar’s file for premature release was already under process, and his parole leave had been approved, so his sudden escape was all the more puzzling for the jail authorities.

Under the open jail system, only those inmates who have completed more than half of their sentence and demonstrated exemplary behaviour are permitted to live and work in the open compound. Until now, no prisoner had ever fled from the Nahan open jail, making this the first such incident in its history.

Confirming the escape, Nahan Jail Superintendent Bhanu Prakash Sharma said that Harish Kumar fled on Thursday evening and that the police have been informed. “A detailed investigation is underway, and efforts are being made to trace the absconding prisoner,” he added.