Day before Afghan man, another fugitive had fled police custody
NEW DELHI: A 54-year-old Afghan national, who escaped from custody last Saturday, is not the only fugitive Delhi police are on the lookout for across the city.
Ahmed Javid, who was lodged in jail 8/9 of Tihar, was arrested three years ago for smuggling heroin and was brought to AIIMS for a check-up from the prison hospital.
A day before Javid fled from AIIMS while undergoing a medical examination, another prisoner, Ravi Singh, 32, had escaped from another part of the city using a similar modus operandi.
Ever since the twin escapes, police have been scanning the possible hideouts of both the men and have kept an eye on city hotels and rented apartments. The photographs of the men have also been distributed to all police stations, who have been asked to stay alert.
On September 28, Ravi Singh was arrested in a case of theft and also for receiving stolen property. He was sent to Tihar for a day and on Friday, he was brought to a city court for hearing.
According to a police officer, who filed the complaint, Singh was produced before a judge, who sent him to three days of police custody for interrogation. At around 4pm, Singh was taken to DDU hospital for a check-up. In his statement, the constable who was escorting Singh has alleged that Singh after completing his medical examination, entered the patients room again. He reportedly took advantage of the crowd inside the hospital, jumped over some beds, went across the corridor and fled the hospital premises. The constable claimed that he along with another officer searched for Singh in all the wards but they could not trace Singh.
The Hari Nagar police have registered a case against Singh. DCP West Vijay Kumar confirmed the incident and said a probe had been launched.
Sources in the Delhi Armed Police unit, which is in charge of transporting prisoners, said that the two police officers escorting Singh have been suspended.
A senior officer said in the backdrop of two prisoners managing to escape custody, police personnel in the DAP have been instructed to be extra cautious at hospitals.