Mangaluru: A murder accused escaped from police custody at a court complex in Mangaluru after allegedly seeking permission to use the washroom while being escorted to prison on September 22.
The accused has been identified as Prasad, who is facing charges in connection with a 2018 murder case registered at the Moodbidri Police Station. He escaped from police custody near the 3rd Additional District and Sessions Court in Mangaluru, according to the FIR and the complaint filed by the police constable escorting him.
Accused appeared before court for hearing
Prasad appeared before the 2nd Additional District and Sessions Court on Tuesday along with three other accused identified as Sandeep Shetty, Balaraj and Prabhakar.
The court hearing was related to the 2018 murder case registered at Moodbidri Police Station. Prasad had reportedly failed to appear at an earlier hearing, following which a warrant had been issued against him.
As there was no lawyer representing him during the latest hearing, the court remanded Prasad to police custody, according to the report.
Following the court proceedings, police constable Ashok S T of Moodbidri Police Station took custody of Prasad.
The constable subsequently collected the remand warrant and began escorting the accused towards the Mangaluru District Prison.
Accused escapes while being escorted to prison
The escape reportedly occurred at around 3.30 pm near the 3rd Additional District and Sessions Court.
While being taken to prison, Prasad allegedly told the police constable that he needed to use the washroom. After being allowed to do so, he managed to evade police custody and fled from the location.
The circumstances surrounding the escape, including how the accused managed to get away while under police escort, are now part of the police investigation.
The incident occurred within the court complex area, where several judicial proceedings take place during the day.
Fresh case registered against accused
Following the escape, police registered a fresh case based on the complaint filed by constable Ashok S T.
The new case has been registered at Mangaluru North Police Station under Section 262 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), according to the Daijiworld report.
Police are now searching for Prasad and investigating the circumstances surrounding his escape.
The fresh case is separate from the original murder case registered at Moodbidri Police Station in 2018. The escape has added another legal proceeding against the accused, who was already facing trial in the earlier case.
Police search for escaped accused
The police are expected to examine the circumstances leading to the escape and the movements of the accused after he fled from custody.
Details regarding whether Prasad had received assistance from anyone or how far he travelled after escaping had not been established in the report.
The police complaint and subsequent case registration will form part of the investigation into the incident.
The escape also raises questions about the security arrangements followed while transporting accused persons from courts to prisons. However, the specific circumstances and any responsibility for the lapse will have to be determined through the police investigation.
Investigation underway
Prasad was in police custody following the court’s remand order when he escaped. Police have now launched efforts to trace him and ascertain his whereabouts.
The incident comes in the course of proceedings in a murder case dating back to 2018. The original case was registered at Moodbidri Police Station, while the new case concerning the alleged escape has been registered at Mangaluru North Police Station.
Further details are expected as police continue their investigation and attempt to locate the accused.
For now, Prasad remains an absconding accused in the custody-escape case, while proceedings in the original murder case will continue separately.