In an embarrassment to the Commissionerate Police, dreaded criminal Shahjahan Khan alias Patu, who had escaped from the police custody and was rearrested recently after a police encounter, managed to flee once again from police custody at the SCB Medical College Hospital, Cuttack on Saturday.
Three police personnel in charge of escorting Patu were suspended. Patu, who was under treatment after sustaining leg injury in a police encounter here, managed to escape when he was being shifted from the surgery ward to orthopaedics for plastering even though he was escorted by five policemen, including an ASI.
Meanwhile, the Commissionerate Police sealed all the entry and exit points of Cuttack and launched a search operation to nab.
Commissioner of Police YB Khurania said a special team has been formed to conduct raids and Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrata Bhoi would investigate the circumstances under which Patu managed to flee.
Earlier, he had escaped from police custody while undergoing treatment at the Capital Hospital here.
Patu was arrested from the Khandagiri area of Bhubaneswar late on Wednesday night following a shootout with the police. As many as 17 cases are pending against him at various police stations of Puri, Khordha and Bhubaneswar, Cuttack urban police districts.
He had been arrested earlier for chain snatching in Bhubaneswar and was lodged at the Jharapada jail.