PESHAWAR, May 4: Five under-trial prisoners escaped from the toilet of a temporary lock-up in the Judicial Complex here on Thursday, while another was apprehended.

A portion of a wall of the toilet was broken and the five used the hole to escaped. The prisoners had been arrested on robbery and narcotics smuggling charges, officials said.

City police have registered a case against the prisoners and started looking for them.

Police teams have been sent to Charsadda, Mardan and Nowshera districts.

An inquiry had been initiated against 22 policemen posted at the Judicial Complex, the officials said.

Those who escaped are: Zubair, arrested by Bhana Mari police for robbery; Babar Hussain, arrested by Gulbahar police for narcotics smuggling; Sardar Hussain, arrested by Gulbahar police for robbery; Mushtaq Hussain, arrested by Mardan police for robbery; and Sardar Hussain, arrested by Swabi police.

Hijran of Kalakhel, who had been arrested by Badhber police, was held while trying to escape.

Ghafoor, father of escaped prisoner Zubair, who had gone to the complex to meet his son, was also arrested for interrogation.

The prisoners had been brought to the court of Senior Civil Judge Asghar Shah Khilji for hearing of their cases.