Jailbreak in Mokokchung: Security lapse, infrastructure failure – or both?

Three under-trial prisoners escape from Mokokchung District Jail, exposing weaknesses in Nagaland’s prison system

Three undertrial prisoners escaped from the Mokokchung District Jail in the early hours of Thursday, October 30, exposing long-standing weaknesses in Nagaland’s prison infrastructure – just months after two jail collapses were reported in the state.

According to L Bumeng, Superintendent of Mokokchung District Jail, the inmates – Sukam Ali (20), Roshida Ali (26) and Habibullah Islam (21) – were among 29 prisoners transferred from Wokha Sub-Jail after that facility collapsed in August. Following the Wokha incident, a portion of the Mokokchung Jail’s outer wall also collapsed on August 27, 2025, highlighting the fragile condition of the state’s correctional infrastructure.

The trio had been lodged in Mokokchung since August 21. On October 21, they reported skin infections and, on medical advice, were placed in an “old and deteriorating” isolation ward three days later. Around 3:36 a.m. on Thursday, they dug through the toilet wall using a broken spoon, loosen some of the bricks and scaled the outer gate using their bedsheets and shirts.

Bumeng said the jail’s CCTV cameras were not being monitored at night except during morning and daytime and admitted that the ward’s structure was weak, but he denied negligence. “Our jawans have done their best; I cannot say there was a security lapse,” he said. The prison operates four night-duty shifts.

“The jawans might have walked to check another area when the escape happened,” he said, adding that the lock-up time is at 4 PM daily.

The Superintendent of Police, Mokokchung, confirmed the escapees were facing kidnapping and murder charges under Ralan Police Station, Wokha. “All police stations and border gates have been alerted, and coordination with Assam Police and nearby villages is under way,” the SP said. Look-out notices have been issued.

Thursday’s jailbreak has revived concerns about Nagaland’s ageing and under-resourced jails. The August collapses in both Wokha and Mokokchung had already revealed serious maintenance and staffing gaps; this latest incident, observers say, reflects the urgent need for comprehensive prison reform, beyond temporary fixes.

Following the incident, officials said duty rosters would be revised and night-time CCTV monitoring reinforced, but systemic vulnerabilities – from weak infrastructure to limited surveillance – continue to challenge prison security across the state.

MT