Accused escapes custody at Ahmedabad Sessions Court, nabbed from friend’s place

In a dramatic turn of events at the Bhadra Sessions Court in Ahmedabad on Thursday, an accused in a POCSO case briefly escaped police custody. The accused, identified as Sagheshyam alias Gopal alias Kuldeep alias Jaideep Singh Ashokbhai Rajdev, was presented in Court No 22 for a hearing related to a case registered at Naroda police station.

The escape occurred around 3 pm as the accused was being escorted back to the police vehicle following the court proceedings. As per the complaint filed by Constable Dhanjibhai Chhaganbhai of the Rajkot City Police Headquarters, the accused took advantage of the dense crowd and heavy traffic near the court's main gate to flee. Immediate searches in the court premises and nearby areas, including bus stands, proved unsuccessful.

Sequence of events

The accused had been transported earlier in the day from Rajkot Central Jail to the Ahmedabad Sessions Court under the supervision of Constable Dhanjibhai and a government driver. He was presented before the judge around 11.30 am, and the next hearing was scheduled for January 23. However, while being escorted back to the police vehicle, he escaped.

The Ahmedabad Police Control Room and Rajkot Police Headquarters were promptly alerted, and an FIR was registered at the Karanj police station. During the investigation, information surfaced that the accused had been spotted in the Chandola Lake area.

Accused apprehended

Acting on this lead, a police team located the accused at a friend's house near Chandola Lake. The police apprehended him before he could execute plans to flee further.

Police Inspector P T Chaudhary of Karanj police station said, “This was not a premeditated escape. The accused seized an opportunity amidst the crowd and traffic. However, our team swiftly located him at a friend's residence in Chandola Lake and took him back into custody.”

The incident highlights the challenges of managing high-security prisoners in crowded public spaces. Authorities are now reviewing security protocols to prevent similar occurrences in the future.