Two Morigaon jail POCSO convicts recaptured in Karnataka within a week
Police probe network aiding escape after one of the accused’s contacts in Karnataka comes to light
Accused Jiarul Islam and Subrata Sarkar in Karnataka.
Morigaon, Aug 27: Within a week of their escape from Morigaon District Jail, two convicts, Jiarul Islam and Subrata Sarkar, have been traced and captured in Chikmagalur, Karnataka, police confirmed on Wednesday.
Acting on the directive of Morigaon Superintendent of Police Hemanta Kumar Das, a team from the district Crime Branch, led by Additional SP Samiran Baishya, in coordination with Karnataka Police, successfully apprehended the fugitives on Tuesday.
Both men were serving 20-year sentences after being convicted under the POCSO Act. Since their escape on August 20, the police had been pursuing multiple leads to locate them.
“Three days ago, our team went to Hyderabad as the duo was initially hiding there. However, they fled again and shifted to Karnataka’s Chikmagaluru district. With the help of Karnataka Police, we were able to trace them,” Baishya told the press.
A separate team has now been dispatched to Karnataka to bring the duo back to Assam.
“So far, we haven’t questioned them. After interrogation, we will know how they managed to escape and whether others were involved,” he added.
Baishya also revealed that one of the accused, Jiarul, had contacts in Karnataka, and investigations are ongoing to uncover any network that may have aided their escape.
The convicts had managed to flee Morigaon District Jail by cutting through the rods of their barrack window and scaling the prison wall using bedsheets and gamosas tied together as a makeshift rope.
Jail authorities later recovered the rods, bedsheets, and gamosas from the site.
“Both accused were found in another state. How they reached there and with whose help is now part of the investigation,” Baishya said.