Sharp-shooter escapes custody after court hearing

Aditya Rana, 33, who has around 41 criminal cases against him and carries a reward of ₹1 lakh on his head, was lodged in Lucknow district jail for the past few years. He was taken to Bijnor for his appearance in a local court on Tuesday

LUCKNOW An undertrial prisoner escaped from police custody from an eatery in Shahjahanpur in the wee hours of Wednesday while being brought to Lucknow from Bijnor by road after a court hearing, police said.

Officials said Rana went to a toilet and fled after scaling its wall, taking advantage of the bushes and darkness behind the eatery. (Pic for representation)

Dreaded sharp shooter Aditya Rana, 33, who has around 41 criminal cases against him and carries a reward of ₹1 lakh on his head, was lodged in Lucknow district jail for the past few years and taken to Bijnor for his appearance in a local court on Tuesday.

According to police officials, three cops from Lucknow Reserve Police Lines – sub-inspector Deepak Kumar, and two constables – Rinku and Ajay Kumar – were deployed to take Rana for court appearance in Bijnor and bring him back to Lucknow district jail. They said Rana escaped from their custody when they were having a meal at a dhaba on Hardoi turn in Shahjahanpur district around 1am on Wednesday.

The officials said Rana went to a toilet and fled after scaling its wall, taking advantage of the bushes and darkness behind the eatery. The police launched a combing operation in the vicinity in search of Rana, but in vain. Local cops lodged an FIR against Rana and three cops for his escape from custody and negligence in duty. These cops were taken into custody for investigations.