KARACHI: Two undertrials facing charges of robbery and possessing an unlicensed weapon escaped from city courts on Friday, while another robbery suspect was rearrested soon after he tried to make an escape.

The police constables escorting the undertrial prisoners (UTPs) were later arrested for their negligence.

UTPs Zahid and Amin were facing trial in robbery/dacoity and illicit weapon cases registered at the Bilal Colony police station.

The jail authorities produced both the UTPs along with Rashid Mir, who is a co-accused in the robbery case, before an additional district and sessions judge (central) on Friday.

City Courts SHO Saleem Memon said that after the hearings, the UTPs were being shifted back to the judicial lock-up at the city courts when Rashid put chilli powder in the eyes of policemen escorting them and tried to escape. The UTPs were handcuffed to a single chain, but Zahid and Amin somehow managed to free themselves from handcuffs and just walked away, he added.

The SHO said that Rashid, too, tried to escape with the handcuffs but he was rearrested by the policemen deputed at and around the main gates of the city courts. He said that Rashid was a hardened criminal, as he was booked in six cases mostly related to dacoity registered at the Taimuria police station.

Following the incident, the police arrested constables Rehmatullah and Farhan, who were escorting the UTPs, for their negligence.

A case was registered against policemen, Rashid and the escaped UTPs on behalf of the state under Sections 223 (escape from custody negligently suffered by a public servant), 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension) 225 (resistance or obstruction to lawful apprehension of another person) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the City Courts police station.

The police said they produced the detained constables and UTP before the judicial magistrate concerned for remand on Saturday.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2016