Karnataka Police recapture escaped Kalaburagi prisoner after encounter, search on for 2

3 min readBengaluruJul 15, 2026 12:28 PM IST

The police are continuing the search for the missing prisoners while investigating possible internal security lapses (Image generated using AI).

The Karnataka Police said Wednesday they recaptured one of the three prisoners who escaped from the high-security Kalaburagi Central Jail the previous day after shooting him down during a brief encounter in the Kapanur Industrial Area.

Following the escape of the three prisoners serving life sentences in a murder case registered in the Bidar district, Sharanappa S D, Police Commissioner, had constituted specialised search teams across the Kalaburagi, Bidar, and Yadgir districts.

Acting on a tip-off, the teams closed in on one of the prisoners, Santosh, in the industrial hub. When the police cornered him, Santosh allegedly attacked them.

The police said they initially fired warning shots into the air. When the accused allegedly continued to resist arrest and did not surrender, the police opened fire, injuring him in the right arm.

The police said they took Santosh into custody, and that he is being treated in a hospital. The search is continuing to trace the other two escaped prisoners.

Jailbreak raises security concerns

The dramatic recapture comes after Santosh, along with fellow inmates Mastan and Sagar, escaped the prison at around 4 am Tuesday. CCTV footage captured the exact moment the three men scaled and jumped over the facility’s massive perimeter walls, prompting an immediate investigation into internal security breaches.

The police suspect the convicts may have received assistance from within the prison. Investigators are probing how the three were allegedly out of their barracks during the night, how they accessed the prison perimeter, and whether any prison personnel facilitated their escape.

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“We are examining every possible angle. Jail records are being audited, and the movements of all on-duty personnel are being verified,” said a senior police officer.

The jailbreak has put the prison department under scrutiny, with senior police and prison officials inspecting the facility Tuesday. The police registered a case at the Farhatabad police station and began a departmental inquiry to ascertain whether there was negligence or complicity on the part of prison staff.

The incident comes less than two weeks after an accused in a child sexual abuse case escaped from the Afzalpur police station in Kalaburagi district after allegedly taking advantage of police personnel who had fallen asleep on duty. The police later rearrested the accused and suspended three personnel for dereliction of duty.

The latest jailbreak is likely to intensify scrutiny of security arrangements in Kalaburagi district, particularly given that it involves a high-security prison housing convicted offenders. Authorities have launched a search operation across neighbouring districts, while prison officials said efforts are underway to apprehend the escaped convicts at the earliest.