German national escapes from police custody

ALLAHABAD: German national Holger Eric, who was being taken for a court hearing to Kullu Manali (Himachal Pradesh) from Sonbhadra by Maduadih-Delhi special train, hoodwinked the cops and escaped by jumping from the train near Bamrauli on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. An FIR was lodged against Eric for escaping while SP Sonbhadra Ram Pratap Singh suspended four cops accompanying the German for negligence. Eric had been arrested for carrying a forged visa.

ALLAHABAD: German national Holger Eric, who was being taken for a court hearing to Kullu Manali (Himachal Pradesh) from Sonbhadra by Maduadih-Delhi special train, hoodwinked the cops and escaped by jumping from the train near Bamrauli on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday.

An FIR was lodged against Eric for escaping while SP Sonbhadra Ram Pratap Singh suspended four cops accompanying the German for negligence.

Inspector Dhumanganj KP Singh said Holger Eric was lodged at Sonbhadra Jail since November 2017. He had been arrested for carrying a forged visa.

A case has been registered against him under Section 14A of the Foreigners Act (for entry in restricted areas without valid documents) and under Sections 419 (cheating by impersonation) and 420 (fraud) of the IPC.

Eric’s passport had been confiscated by the Himachal Pradesh police following a brawl in 2016 and an FIR was also lodged against him at Kullu Manali.

However, Eric got a forged visa and came on a visit to Mirzapur in November 2017. He visited the Agori Fort – 35 kilometres from Robertsganj – for research work.

Trouble began when he went to Robertsganj railway station where he allegedly got into a brawl with a railway employee following which the GRP was called.

When two GRP personnel were taking him away for questioning, he also assaulted them. When questioned by the then superintendent of police, Sonebhadra, RP Singh, Eric, however, claimed he was attacked first by the railway employee and GRP cops.

On further investigation the then SP came to know that a police case had been lodged against Eric in Kullu and his passport had been confiscated.

Eric was then jailed at Sonbhadra. “He may have anger management issues, depression etc,” said police officials.