Two inmates arrested under POCSO Act escape from Srinagar Central Jail; search launched

Two inmates booked in separate cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act escaped from the Central Jail in Srinagar on Sunday (August 23, 2026) after scaling the front-side wall of the high-security prison, officials said.

The escaped inmates have been identified as Farman Khan, a resident of Sadanpora, Rajasthan, and Mukhtar Ahmed Gujar, a resident of Sanglan Chittergul in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, the officials said.

A massive manhunt was launched to trace and apprehend the escaped inmates, they said, adding that further details regarding the circumstances of their escape from the jail were awaited.

The jail is guarded by personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) who were deployed to provide an armed cover to the facility in October 2023 along with the Central Jail in Jammu. The force is responsible for securing both the inner and outer perimeters of these sensitive facilities through a combination of trained manpower, modern surveillance systems and access control measures.

According to the officials, Khan was lodged in the Srinagar jail on June 23 in connection with an FIR registered against him at Lar police station in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district under various sections of the BNS and sections 3 and 4 (penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act.

Similarly, Gujar was lodged in the jail on April 13 in connection with a separate FIR registered at Srinagar’s Soura police station under various sections of the BNS and sections 3 and 4 of the POCSO Act, they said.

The police have issued a wanted notice for the two escapees and also announced a reward for information leading to their arrest.

The police also urged the public to share any information that could help trace or apprehend the two men by contacting the nearest police station or dialling 112.