A shocking incident has been reported from the capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur, where some policemen were found guarding a city hotel where two jail inmates were meeting with their spouses and partners.
According to police, five constables allegedly took bribes to allow four of the five jail inmates, whom they had taken to SMS Medical College and Hospital in Jaipur for a medical checkup, to escape their custody and go gallivanting around the city.
Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George has suspended the five constables.
The jail inmates were facing serious charges such as sexual assault and murder.
Two inmates – Rafiq Bakri and Bhanwar Lal – were caught by the police in rooms of a hotel located on the airport road, while two others – Ankit and Karan – were found eating poha at another hotel, booked by one of their girlfriends.
In a statement released on Sunday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Jaipur East) Tejaswini Gautam said that the constables – as well as four of the inmates’ relatives who helped set up the prison break –were arrested in connection with the case.
The police had received a tip about a possible jail break from SMS Hospital, where the inmates had been taken for a medical examination. But at the hospital, the police found an empty police van and only one of the five inmates was still there. There were also no policemen in sight, said the statement, adding that the inmates were eventually tracked down.
The Indian Express reported that the inmates frequently made such visits under the guise of medical checkups and had paid some officials ₹25,000 for the latest venture.
The inmates were scheduled to return to the prison by 5.30 pm but missed that deadline, the media report said, citing sources.
“This has been going on for a long time but this is the first time it was caught,” a police official told The Indian Express.