14 August,2011 07:52 AM IST | | Saurabh Katkurwar
An accused in a robbery case, 27 year-old Sameer Singh Khadka from Nepal's Halchal district escaped from Belapur Criminal Court on Friday evening, leaving the Navi Mumbai Police red-faced.
Thirteen policemen from Navi Mumbai Police headquarter on Friday were assigned the job of escorting 20 undertrial prisoners from Taloja jail to the Civil and Criminal Court, which is on the second floor of the Central Government Offices (CGO) complex in Belapur.
Before appearing in court, Khadka and a few other prisoners were allowed to use the toilet on the first floor of the building, from where Khadka managed to escape. "The undertrials were taken to the courtroom after they used the toilet. While taking a headcount, the police found that one was missing. They launched a search operation in the CGO complex area and later realised that he (Khadka) had escaped through the toilet window," Shekhar Tore, Senior Police Inspector of Belapur Police station said.u00a0u00a0
Only 13 cops, including nine women police, were assigned the job of escorting 20 undertrial prisoners from Jail to court. As per government guidelines at least 40 police cops should have been assigned the task, sources said. Police Commissioner of Navi Mumbai Ahmad Javed declined to comment on the incident. "We have initiated a departmental inquiry into the matter," he said.
Belapur Police has registered a case of resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension under section 224 of Indian Penal Code. Assistant Police Inspector R N Patil is investigating the matter.u00a0
