RAWALPINDI, Feb 22: Of the seven police officials, three cops including the incharge of judicial lockup – who were booked by police in connection with the fleeing of two under-trial prisoners (UTPs) – were playing cat and mouse with the police by making them telephone calls that they would surrender shortly but never did the same.

The three cops including incharge ASI of the judicial lockup and his two subordinate Constables who were booked along with four other police officials, had gone missing since the fleeing of two under-trial prisoners from judicial lockup at Murree in the early hours on Tuesday.

Two UTPs – Khul Mir, who was facing the charges of depriving a Sri Lankan tourist couple of cash and gold ornaments and Tariq Mehmood, who was facing trial in fake currency case – escaped from the judicial lockup after cutting its iron bars with hacksaw allegedly provided to them by one of the cops.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Murree, Abbas Majeed Marwat when contacted said police raids were under way and hoped the prisoners would soon be captured as police had picked up father of Khul Mir.

ASP Marwat said: "It was one of the police guards who had developed friendship with Tariq Mehmood and he seemed to have provided hacksaw to the escapees."

He added that negligence of seven policemen was established and four of them were arrested while police raids were continuing to capture the other three officials.

The ASP said it was Tariq who masterminded the plot. He added that after visiting the scene of crime, the involvement of the cops was hard to be ruled out because incharge of the judicial lockup and two constables were found absent from duty while two of the four cops were reported to be sleeping during the mishap.

The rest were away for unknown reasons.Tariq Mehmood was well-off and had been using cell phone in the lockup.

The call data of his cell phone was obtained by police who started raiding different places to arrest him. All the seven cops were suspended by the CPO Azhar Hameed Khokhar who formed police teams to track down the escapees.

Sources said the policemen were still at large despite making numerous calls to their colleagues assuring them they would soon present themselves. The move may be aimed at buying time.