Ranchi: Five Maoist prisoners were shot dead when they tried to escape as they were brought back to Chaibasa jail in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district from court Tuesday but 12 other rebels got away, police said.

According to police, more than 50 prisoners, most of whom were Maoist guerrillas, were brought back to the jail in Chaibasa, around 200 km from Ranchi, Tuesday afternoon after producing them in local court.