Bhubaneswar: The state police are still groping in dark to nab dreaded gangster Suleiman Hyder who managed to escape Saturday afternoon from the Cabin No.5 of the surgery ward at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack Saturday afternoon. Notorious criminal Suleiman Hyder was shifted March 23 to the SCB from the Sambalpur circle jail.
The state police have sent four teams to various states to trace the whereabouts of the dreaded criminal. Meanwhile, a close aide of Hyder, Yakub Khan alias Sallu surrendered Monday before the Chauliaganj police. Sources claimed that Yakub took the step fearing police action against him as he is one of the prime suspects in facilitating Hyder’s escape. Police are currently interrogating Yakub to elicit information on the matter as well. However, they are yet to get any vital lead about the whereabouts of the gangster.
Odisha Police have launched massive manhunt for Hyder and they have formed six teams under the supervision of DCP Cuttack, Prateek Singh. The STF of Crime Branch, Cuttack, Jajpur, Kendrapara police, have also been engaged to trace Hyder.
Police have been keeping close surveillance on airport, railways stations, road routes and bus stands to check any attempt by the dreaded criminal to leave the state. The CCTV footage was examined by cops too.
The police forces in border areas have also been alerted after Hyder’s escape. Officials of Odisha Police are also in touch with their counterparts in neighbouriong states. The six cops who accompanied Hyder from Sambalpur to SCB and were responsible for his whereabouts have also been suspended. .
On the other hand, suspended constable Md Mausim who was on duty when Hyder escaped claimed in his complaint at the Mangalabag police station that the criminal’s family members, including his son, son-in-law and nephew helped him to get away. Mausim alleged that one of his family members threw some poisonous substance under whose effect he fell unconscious Saturday.
Notably, Hyder was serving life imprisonment at the Samablpur circle jail for killing miner Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra of Keonjhar and Sk Chuna.