Pune: Prisoners ask to stop for toilet break; assault cops and flee

Clockwise from left Kalya aka Mahadev Pathare Santosh Jagtap and Santosh Chandilkar were being escorted back from their court appearance in SataraPune Pissed off is the least of the emotions four policemen from Pune are feeling right now after three under trial prisoners gave them the slip during a pee break The incident occurred on Monday evening when the cops were returning to jail after producing the trio at a court in Satara A FIR has been registered against the fugitives at the Bharti Vidyapeeth police stationAlso read Sly thief takes loo break avoids arrestThe incident took place around 730 pm at an isolated area on National Highway 4 near the Katraj Ghat Narrating the incident in his police statement head constable Sanjay Chandwane said On Monday I along with S V Kokare S K Khade V A Mandare were given the duty of taking their custody from the Yerawada central prison producing them in the court in Satara and bringing them back to the prison Accordingly around 10 am we took custody of the trio and made them sit in the minivan The fugitives Kalya Mahadev Pathare alias Raju 25 Santosh Chintaman Chandilkar alias Lodya 25 and Santosh Machindra Jagtap 30 were later escorted to Satara They have been put on trial for a case of robbery and possession of firearms registered against them in 2015 in the Khandala taluka in Satara They were produced in the judicial magistrate first class court in Khandala Pargoan in Satara districtFled to the forestAround 130 pm we reached the court and the trios hearing was adjourned till April 21 Around 530 pm we collected the report from the court and headed to Pune using the old highway from Katraj After we put them the criminals in the car they complained about pain their hands and requested us to keep their hands free of handcuffs We did not handcuff them said the constable adding Later around 645 pm the trio requested us to allow them to urinate We told them wed let them go after we cross the toll plaza Later we stopped and one of us stood behind every inmate After they finished urinating they manhandled us and fled in the direction of forestNegligent escort teamA senior police officer told midday The four policemen are new and two of them have been transferred from the state reserve police force All of them are well trained about such notorious act of culprits The undertrial prisoners were not handcuffed at all and they the cops have been directed that if they want to allow them to urinate they must approach a nearby police station or seek additional manpower and then let them do soIn this case too there was a complete neglect on the part of the police And while the incident took place around 7 pm they approached the Bharti Vidyapeeth police station around 1130 pm due to which there was a delay in catching the culpritsCops suspendedDeputy commissioner of police Headquarter II Arvind Chavirya said The four policemen are suspended and an internal inquiry has been constituted against themA jail official said We came to know that there was no hearing and the date for the next one was announced in the afternoon I do not understand why the policemen were waiting in court till 530 pm as our last call entry into prison is till 6 pm It seems like theyve mischievously delayed bringing the undertrials to prisonSenior inspector Vijaysinh Gaikwad of Bharti Vidyapeeth police station said We rushed to the spot as soon as we came to know about the incident We were trying to nab them till 7 am on Tuesday and searched the entire forest but did not get any clue The trio are residents of Pune city and have been held in the past for robbery and possession of firearms The three of them have been booked under Sections 224 Resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension and 34 common intention