New Delhi, April 2 A 24-year-old man, accused in a kidnapping case, is alleged to have escaped from police custody through a bathroom ventilation window of a guest house in Mahipalpur, a southwestern Delhi area, official sources said on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Sahidur Rahman alias Aalu, a resident of Manipur, had been booked at the Irilbung police station in Imphal district. Acting on a tip-off, a Manipur Police team arrested him on March 27.
He was produced before a court in Saket the next day, which granted a three-day transit remand to the Manipur Police, the source said.
Before traveling to Manipur, the police team checked into a guest house in Mahipalpur and stayed in a room along with the accused.
"On the night of March 28, the accused requested permission to use the bathroom. After he failed to return for a considerable time, the officer grew suspicious and checked inside, only to find the bathroom empty," the source said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had escaped through the bathroom's ventilation opening. The team rushed outside and managed to briefly apprehend him, but he managed to free himself and fled into the crowd, evading capture.
Following the incident, the Manipur Police informed the Delhi Police. A case was registered at the Vasant Kunj North Police Station on March 29 based on the statement of a sub-inspector.
Police teams are reviewing CCTV footage from the guest house and nearby areas and conducting raids to trace the accused. The source said that efforts are underway to apprehend the accused as soon as possible, and an inquiry has also been initiated into the lapse in custody.
