MAPUSA
In a daring escape that has exposed glaring security lapses at the Mapusa Detention Centre, a Russian national allegedly walked out of the facility in broad daylight on Monday morning, scaled a high perimeter wall lined with broken glass and disappeared despite being spotted by a police constable minutes later.
The incident, which unfolded around 9 am, triggered a state-wide manhunt and has raised serious questions about security arrangements at the detention facility that houses foreign nationals awaiting deportation or the completion of immigration-related proceedings.
According to sources, the detainee carefully altered his appearance before making his move.
Unlike other inmates who are often seen moving around the premises in minimal clothing, the Russian national reportedly dressed in a T-shirt and trousers and slung a bag over his shoulder.
In an extraordinary breach, he calmly walked past a police constable stationed at the detention centre surprisingly without arousing suspicion.
He then made his way to the rear section of the compound where a high boundary wall topped with broken glass serves as a key security barrier.
Sources said the detainee threw a blanket over the glass-lined edge of the wall, climbed over it and jumped to the other side before walking away from the premises unnoticed.
What followed has even stunned security officials.
The escaped foreign national reportedly walked unchallenged along nearby roads and reached the busy Maruti Temple junction in the heart of Mapusa. There, another police constable recognised him as a detainee and immediately alerted authorities at the detention centre.
However, by the time the warning was relayed and officials realised what had happened, the Russian national had already vanished.
Senior police officials confirmed the escape and said an extensive search operation is underway.
"We do not have complete details of how he managed to escape, but search operations have been launched and efforts are on to trace him," a senior police officer said.
Following the incident, police and security agencies swung into action, issuing alerts to all police stations across Goa. Surveillance has been intensified at railway stations, bus stands, ports and the airport, while multiple police teams have been deployed to track down the absconding foreign national.
Investigators are also examining CCTV footage from areas surrounding the detention centre and along possible escape routes.
The incident has put the spotlight firmly on the security infrastructure and operational protocols at the Mapusa Detention Centre.
