Convict serving sentence in murder, POCSO case escapes from Sabarmati Central Jail

A 30-year-old life convict serving sentence in a murder and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case allegedly escaped from the lawful custody of Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad on Sunday morning after evading security personnel at the prison’s main gate, police said.

The accused, identified as Malde Ramabhai Parmar, was lodged as a convicted prisoner at the central jail and is originally a resident of Bagvadar on Modhvada Road in Porbandar district.

According to a complaint lodged at the Ranip Police Station by Assistant Head Constable Mukundkumar Girishbhai, the prisoner escaped around 10.10 am on May 11 from the jail premises.

Police said Parmar had been convicted in connection with a 2023 case registered at Kamalabag Police Station in Porbandar under sections related to murder, criminal intimidation and provisions of the POCSO Act. He had been sentenced to life imprisonment by a court on May 9, 2025.

Following his conviction, Parmar was initially shifted from Porbandar Special Jail to Rajkot Central Jail to serve his sentence. However, due to health-related issues, prison authorities later transferred him to Ahmedabad Central Jail for medical treatment under an order issued by the office of Jail and Correctional Administration, Ahmedabad, dated November 13, 2025.

According to prison officials, Parmar was housed in Barrack “Bada Chakkar Yard No. 4 After” inside the jail premises. During routine inmate counting on Sunday, authorities discovered that he was missing from the barrack.

A search operation was immediately launched within the prison premises, but jail authorities failed to locate him. Officials subsequently examined CCTV footage from the jail campus, which allegedly showed Parmar leaving the barrack area in the morning and walking towards the main gate.

Investigators said the footage indicated that the convict managed to slip past prison personnel deployed at the gate and escaped from the jail premises unnoticed at around 10.10 am.

Police have registered a case under Section 262 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to escape from lawful custody. Surveillance teams and local police units have been deployed to trace the absconding convict.

Officials said multiple teams have been formed to track Parmar and investigate whether he received assistance from inside or outside the prison during the escape.

The incident has also raised serious questions regarding security arrangements at Ahmedabad Central Jail, particularly concerning monitoring and movement of high-risk convicts serving life imprisonment sentences.