Accused escapes after jumping from Pinjore police station roof

A man arrested in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case managed to escape from the Pinjore police station this morning.

The accused, who had recently been brought back from Assam on a six-day remand, reportedly fled police custody by jumping from the police station’s roof. Teams from Pinjore police station, along with Crime Branch units, are conducting searches across the nearby areas to nab the accused.

Inspector Bachhu Singh, Pinjore SHO, stated that their team was making every possible effort to trace the accused and he would be arrested soon.

The police searched for the fugitive in localities where several persons from the accused’s home district of Kishanganj, Bihar, reside. His family is also under surveillance.

This escape comes days after a significant breakthrough in the case pertaining to sexual assault on a minor. The accused was arrested on July 18 from Kokrajhar, Assam, after evading arrest for weeks.

According to the FIR lodged on July 9, a 15-year-old girl was lured away from her home in Pinjore by the accused, who had befriended her through a mutual acquaintance. Investigations later revealed that the girl was taken to multiple locations, including Ludhiana, Vijayawada, Kishanganj and Nepal, where she was repeatedly assaulted.

The police safely recovered the minor from Kishanganj, but the accused fled the scene. He was later arrested in Assam and brought to Panchkula for interrogation.

Cop suspended

Panchkula DCP Shrishti Gupta has suspended the constable who was on sentry duty at the Pinjore police station. A show-cause notice has been issued to the SHO, seeking an explanation regarding the lapse and identifying which other police personnel may be held accountable.

Chandigarh