Cuttack: Dreaded criminals are escaping from police custody in state even though the Crime Branch (CB) has laid down a set of guidelines for security personnel to maintain high alert while taking arrested persons to hospitals, courts or jails.
Very recently, two arrested criminals escaped from police custody exposing the fact that security personnel have failed to comply with the CB guidelines.
At least nine arrested persons including dreaded Maoist Manoj Madkami escaped from police custody in state, last year. Madkami had managed to escape while he was being taken to jail from a court by police in Nuapada district.
Taking the issue seriously, the CB had asked all district Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) to ensure high security while taking arrested persons— involved in Maoist activities, murder, rape, abduction and robbery— to courts, hospitals and jails.
In a letter to the SPs and DCPs in June this year, the CB had asked them to produce dreaded criminals in courts through video-conferencing. However, police officials are yet to obey the CB advisory, sources said.
Surya Singh, an accused, managed to escape from police custody near a court in Jagatsinghpur district, July 6. The court had rejected the bail plea of Singh, an accused in a murder case, and ordered police to take the accused to jail, sources said.
Similarly, Chandan Nayak, an arrested accused escaped from police custody in Bhubaneswar, July 9. According to sources, Nayak, an accused in robbery, bomb hurling and firearm smuggling incidents, escaped from police while he was being taken to Jharpada Jail from a court in the Capital City.
“The CB has advised police officers to produce dreaded criminals in courts through video-conferencing. However, police officers have no care for the CB advisory. The two recent incidents of custodial escape have exposed laxity among policemen,” said a social activist.
Additional Director General of Police Santosh Kumar Upadhaya said it is mandatory to produce an accused in court in person soon after his arrest. “We can produce arrested persons in court through video-conferencing during subsequent hearings. We have directed SPs and DCPs to take action against the guilty police officers for the recent incidents of custodial escape,” he added.