Dressed as Monkeys Searching for Sita, 2 Prisoners Escape Haridwar Jail During Ram Leela

New Delhi: A Haridwar jail was thrown into chaos when two prisoners were found missing during a headcount at around 8 PM.

A dramatic incident unfolded during a Ramleela performance at the Haridwar jail. Two inmates, dressed as 'Vanaras' (monkeys) for the performance, seized the opportunity and escaped the jail.

During a scene where Lord Ram’s allies search for Maa Sita, the two prisoners, playing the roles of the Vanaras, went ‘in search of Sita’ themselves by scaling the prison’s boundary walls.

A video of the Ramleela was shared by a user on X, who wrote, “The incident happened last night. During the Ramleela performance, two prisoners escaped from Haridwar jail. While the search for Mother Sita was being enacted, the two prisoners dressed as monkeys jumped over the wall. Everyone was engrossed in the Ramleela, and they used a ladder to escape. Both are guilty of heinous crimes. More than 500 prisoners are already absconding from state jails, and now two more have fled. The search is on.”

The prisoners have been identified as Pankaj from Roorkee, who has been serving life imprisonment since July 2023, and Rajkumar from Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, who has been in jail since August 2024 and is currently under trial. One was convicted of murder, and the other charged with kidnapping.

Reports suggest they used a ladder to scale the walls, which didn’t raise suspicion due to ongoing construction work in the area.

This incident has raised serious concerns about jail security. Haridwar District Magistrate Kamendra Singh called it a case of gross negligence and assured strict action against those responsible within the jail administration.