An embarrassing case of mistaken identity and bureaucratic lapses unfolded at a jail in Faridabad when an inmate, jailed for allegedly raping a minor boy, was “accidentally” released after prison officials confused him with another inmate who had a similar name and father’s name—and was granted bail in a petty assault case, police said Thursday.
The mix-up involves two men named Nitesh.
The first is 27-year-old Nitesh Pandey, arrested in October 2021 for repeatedly raping a nine-year-old boy in Faridabad’s Sector-58. He is the son of one Ravinder Pandey.
The second is 24-year-old Nitesh, who goes by only one name. He landed in the same jail on Sunday in a case of house trespass and assault. His father’s name? Also Ravinder.
The second Nitesh, accused of a minor scuffle, was granted bail on Monday by the court of the Faridabad chief judicial magistrate. What should have been a routine release turned into a staggering blunder.
“As per procedure, Nitesh was to be released from jail on Tuesday. But instead, jail authorities freed Nitesh Pandey—the rape accused—who then vanished,” said a senior Faridabad police officer familiar with the case.
The error only came to light only when the trespassing Nitesh asked why he hadn’t yet been released, despite the bail order in his name. A hurried records check followed, prompting an emergency security alert—and the stunning realisation that an alleged rapist had walked free instead of a man involved in a petty scuffle.
{{/usCountry}}The error only came to light only when the trespassing Nitesh asked why he hadn’t yet been released, despite the bail order in his name. A hurried records check followed, prompting an emergency security alert—and the stunning realisation that an alleged rapist had walked free instead of a man involved in a petty scuffle.
{{/usCountry}}“There were lapses at several levels. Pandey’s address was listed as Kalyanpur village, in Paliganj block of Patna, Bihar while the other’s address was Shastri Colony, Faridabad. Yet verification of identity and address was clearly skipped,” the officer said. “The fact that both men listed their father’s name as Ravinder seems to have caused confusion—and Pandey appears to have exploited it.”
Investigators have not ruled out the possibility of inside help. “There’s a chance that jail staff connived with Pandey, but we’ll know more after a detailed inquiry,” the officer added.
On a complaint by jail deputy superintendent Vikram Kumar, an FIR was registered against the escaped inmate on Wednesday at Ballabhgarh Sadar police station under sections 262 (obstructing lawful apprehension) and 319 (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. HT has reviewed a copy of the FIR.
Pandey was arrested on October 1, 2021, after being booked under IPC sections 377 (unnatural sex), 506 (criminal intimidation), and section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act. The charges stem from his alleged repeated sexual assault of a nine-year-old boy in Sector-58.
He had filed for bail once, in 2022, but the fast-track special court of additional sessions judge Jasmine Sharma rejected it on October 28 that year. He never filed again. His trial was ongoing at the time of his escape.
The other Nitesh, by contrast, had only just entered jail. He was arrested in a trespass and assault case on May 24, after an FIR was registered at the Old Faridabad police station. He was granted bail two days later.
The fallout from the fiasco has been swift. An internal inquiry is now underway, and two jail officials tasked with verifying inmate identities before release have been suspended. “We’re scanning CCTV footage to determine how such a massive breach happened,” the officer said.
Inspector Umesh Kumar, station house officer of Ballabhgarh Sadar police station, said multiple teams have been deployed to track down the fugitive. “Pandey impersonated the other Nitesh and misled jail officials. He took advantage of the confusion and walked out,” he said.
The jailbreak has triggered serious questions about prison protocols. A man accused of sexually assaulting a child managed to walk free—not by force, but by paperwork.