Cuttack: The Odisha police are resorting to various plans to nab dreaded gangster Suleiman Hyder who escaped from custody while undergoing treatment at the SCB Medical College and Hospital here. Police have launched ‘Operation Hyder’ with inputs from one of the close associates of the criminal Yakub Khan. The latter was arrested Tuesday after he surrendered Monday.
Hyder was serving simultaneous life sentence since 2015 for the murder of Keonjhar-based miner Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra and another criminal. He was brought to SCB Medical College and Hospital from Sambalpur circle jail a month ago for a surgery. He was found missing from his bed April 10. The nurse who came to give Hyder an injection was the first to realise that the gangster was missing from his bed and the cop on duty lying semi-unconscious.
Later, it was learnt that the cop was offered sedative-spiked soft drink and biryani laced with drugs.
The Odisha police since then have been grappling in dark, but are yet to find any whereabouts about the dreaded gangster. So they are depending on information that they are getting from Yakub.
It has been learnt that police are now planning a move with Yakub to locate Hyder. Since, Yakub has met Hyder on several occasions and supplied biryani to him during his stay at SCBMCH, his role in helping Hyder to escape has not been ruled out. Most importantly, it is learnt that Yakub has told the police that he will help them in tracing Hyder out.
The question however, is whether Hyder will bank anymore on Yakub. The news of the latter’s surrender and subsequent arrest must have already reached Hyder. There is every possibility that he may cut all contact with Yakub.
PNN