Andhra police apprehend escaped inmates within 24 hours

Anakapalli (Andhra Pradesh), Sep 7 (PTI) Two remand prisoners, who escaped from Chodavaram Sub-Jail in Anakapalli district, after attacking the head warden were arrested within 24 hours, police said on Sunday.

Anakapalli superintendent of police Tuhin Sinha identified the prisoners as Nakka Ravi Kumar (30) and Bezawada Ramu (26), who attacked head warden V Veera Raju on Friday evening and fled with the jail's gate keys.

"Both prisoners escaped after hitting the warden with an iron hammer and stealing the main gate keys. They were arrested within 24 hours with joint efforts of Anakapalli police and Visakhapatnam City Task Force," said Sinha, addressing a press conference.

According to the SP, the duo also stole an official's mobile phone during their escape. Police immediately issued lookout notices, circulated their details on social media, and carried out intensive vehicle checks across the district.

On Saturday evening, Visakhapatnam City Task Force police apprehended the fugitives near Gollalapalem Junction in the city and handed them over to the Chodavaram police.

During interrogation, both prisoners admitted to attacking the warden, stealing the phone, and executing their escape plan. They confessed that they were provoked by fellow inmate Yeka Swamy, police said.

Sinha noted that Swamy, a remand prisoner in assault and attempt-to-murder cases, repeatedly told them they would never get bail and encouraged them to flee.

The SP further said the two accused escaped mainly due to lack of sureties despite bail being sanctioned, a personal grudge against the warden, and Swamy's instigation.

Police recovered the stolen phone and booked all three under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, adding Swamy as a co-accused in the escape case.

On September 5, Kumar, a panchayat secretary, who is on remand since April, hit the head warden with a hammer on his head while returning the jail's kitchen keys after completing his cooking duties, the SP said.

They also snatched gate keys, escaped through Kotturu Junction, Sivalayam Arch and PS Peta route, later boarding a bus from Chodavaram to Visakhapatnam, planning thefts before fleeing further, he added. PTI MS STH KH