Srinagar: A major security breach at Srinagar’s high security Central Jail has triggered a massive manhunt after two undertrials facing separate cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act escaped from the prison on Sunday, August 23. The two men have been identified as Farman Khan of Rajasthan and Mukhtar Ahmad Gujjar of Anantnag district.
According to officials, the inmates escaped after allegedly scaling the front side wall of the prison premises. The circumstances surrounding how the two managed to breach security at the high security facility are under investigation. Police have intensified searches across the region and issued lookout notices to trace and apprehend them.
Farman Khan, a resident of Sadanpora in Rajasthan, was lodged at the jail on June 23, 2026. He is facing proceedings in FIR No. 19/2026, registered at Lar police station in Ganderbal district, under Sections 137(2) and 87 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 3 and 4 of the POCSO Act.
Mukhtar Ahmad Gujjar, from Sanglan Chittergul in Anantnag, was lodged in the prison on April 13, 2026. He is wanted in FIR No. 20/2026, registered at Soura police station, under Sections 137(2) and 65(1) of the BNS and Sections 3 and 4 of the POCSO Act.
Following the escape, authorities sounded an alert and deployed search teams at possible hideouts and transit points. Alerts have also been circulated to neighbouring districts as police work to prevent the two from leaving the area. Security has meanwhile been tightened around the jail and surrounding locations.
Police have also registered a case concerning the jailbreak and appealed to the public for information that could help locate the fugitives. Authorities said information leading to their arrest would be suitably rewarded. People who know their whereabouts have been asked to contact the nearest police station or dial 112.
The escape has raised questions about security arrangements at one of Jammu and Kashmir’s high security prisons. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is responsible for security at the facility, has begun a preliminary enquiry to establish how the breach occurred and examine the circumstances surrounding the escape.
As of August 24, 2026, the two men remain the subject of an active search operation, while police and security agencies continue efforts to trace them. Officials have not yet publicly disclosed further details about the precise circumstances of the escape or whether anyone assisted the inmates. The investigation and manhunt are ongoing.
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