A little over a month after a notorious history-sheeter escaped from police custody while being taken back to the Vellore Central Prison, a 19-year-old inmate of Borstal School in Gudiyattam hoodwinked two police personnel in a similar fashion while on transit from a court to the School.
The incident, the second in one-and-half months, has left the district police red-faced.
Madesh, son of Venkatesan and resident of Nangali village in Mulbagal, Karnataka was one of the inmates of the Borstal School, which was run by the Prison Department for young offenders in the age group of 19 to 23 years.
He was being escorted by two police personnel, sub-inspector Balaraman and special sub-inspector Munusamy of Kondapalayam Station, after being produced before the Sholinghur Judicial Magistrate Court in connection with house break-in cases.
The young offender was involved in four house break-in cases in Sholinghur and Kondapalayam Police Station limits in Arakkonam Sub-Division.
The Kondapalayam Police arrested him on August 24.
“We recovered 35 sovereigns of jewels from him and registered a case against him under section 454 (house break-in order to commit offence) and 380 (theft in dwelling house or building) of IPC. He was also involved in similar house break-in cases in Karnataka,” Kondapalayam station circle inspector V K Arunachalam said. He said Madesh escaped from the custody of the SI and SSI when they alighted from a bus at the Vellore New Bus Stand and were rushing to board a bus to Gudiyattam around 7 pm.
“It was raining. Making use of the opportunity, he escaped. Though SSI Munusamy was holding to the chained handcuff to which Madhesh was bound, he escaped after pushing him,” the inspector said.
Though the two policemen tried their best to catch him, he took to his heels and disappeared into the crowd. In fact, he escaped with the handcuffs still on. After their frantic search for Madesh turned futile, the policemen lodged a complaint with the Vellore North Police station. A case has been registered.
On September 24, 24-year-old history-sheeter Manivasagam of Perumapet in Tirupattur, gave police the slip just few metres from the Ranipet Sub-Court when he was being taken back to the Vellore Central Prison after being producing before the court
The police department placed three police personnel, including a woman under suspension for being lethargic on duty. However, police had nabbed him in the second week of November.