KOZHIKODE: A 24-year-old criminal, Ajmal Bilal of Arakkal Thoduka Veettil, managed to escape police custody after fleeing from a hospital toilet where he was taken for a routine medical check-up on Tuesday evening.

Bilal, a resident of Chakkumkadavu near Mughadar, had earlier been detained by Chemmangad police from his home for breaching restrictions under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities Prevention Act (KAAPA). Despite being deported from the district for a year due to multiple offences—including theft, public drug use, and assault on women—he had returned and resumed illegal activities.

A team led by Station Inspector Mohammed Rijas and Sub Inspector Babu apprehended him around 10 a.m. on Tuesday following a tip-off about his reappearance in the area. After formally recording the arrest, police escorted him for a mandatory medical examination.

However, during the check-up, Bilal escaped through the hospital’s washroom, triggering an immediate manhunt. “He slipped away from the toilet while under our watch. Efforts are on to trace and nab him,” Inspector Rijas confirmed.

Bilal’s escape highlights serious lapses in security during medical transfers and raises concerns over handling high-risk detainees.

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