Seraikela, Dec 30: An accused in the murder of priest, Baset Majhi escaped from the Seraikela divisional jail on Monday late night but Seraikela police managed to nab him within 13 hours.
The accused in the murder of Shiv Mandir priest Bhavtosh Sharma (55) in Matkamdih village under Chowka thana was arrested by Chowka police on Monday and after producing in Seraikela court took him to Seraikela Sadar Hospital for mandatory Covid-19 and medical test and then sent him to Seraikela divisional jail.
However, when the accused reached the Seraikela divisional jail campus, he pleaded to be allowed to relieve himself and when the police allowed him to go to a distant place with handcuff the accused fled from the spot in the cover of darkness leaving his slippers at the spot.
Soon after the incident all the police stations of Seraikela-Kharswan started searching for the accused on a war footing and searched his hideouts but could not trace him. The police then started keeping a tab on the relatives of the accused and it was found that there was house of one of his aunt in Mundatand forest area and during interrogation the aunt confessed that the accused had come to his house early in the morning and during course of search police detected the accused in the forest area and nabbed him.
Seraikela SP Mohammed Arshi has suspended three police personnel for dereliction of duty holding them responsible for the accused fleeing.
The accused had killed the Shiv Temple priest on Saturday and police had arrested him on Monday from his house.
