CCTV Failure Exposed in Rajasthan Jail Murder of Notorious Dacoit

The Rajasthan High Court has taken serious note of a security lapse at a high-security jail in Ajmer, where CCTV cameras were non-functional on the day a notorious Chambal dacoit was murdered by a fellow inmate.

Jagan Gurjar, a 52-year-old dacoit facing over 100 criminal cases, was strangled in his cell on June 29. The police have informed the court that the camera covering the murder site had stopped working five days earlier due to a technical fault.

A report submitted by the jail administration reveals that out of 319 cameras installed across the prison, 61 are non-functional. Around 20 others frequently go offline because of power or UPS issues. The administration admitted that despite writing to the Department of Information Technology & Communication ten times between March and June, no repairs were carried out.

Gurjar, who was lodged in the jail since May 16, had been moved to a new ward after a rift with his brother. He shared the space with two other inmates, including the accused, Vishnu. The three were seen playing Ludo together just two days before the murder.

During the investigation, Vishnu claimed that Gurjar often taunted him about his past theft cases and made remarks about another inmate's sister. He also admitted to smearing toothpaste on a nearby camera to obscure the footage before the attack.

Gurjar first gained national attention in 2008 when he allegedly threatened to blow up the residence of the then Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. He surrendered a year later and was arrested multiple times over the following years for various offences, including assault and threats to a local MLA.

The High Court, which took suo motu cognisance of the incident, has directed the jail authorities to repair the CCTV systems immediately.