Prisoner escapes from police escort

Tiruchirapalli, May 16 : A notorious criminal against whom several cases were pending across the State, sescaped from the police, while he was being taken from Chennai to Tirunelveli, early today.

Police said Urulai Rajan (30) was a native of Nagercoil and involved in several cases including murder, attempt to murder, dacoities and highway robberies and cases were pending against him in several police stations across the State.

Rajan was taken to Tirunelveli last evening in a state bus in connection with a case from the Chennai central prison.

When the bus reached Tiruchirapalli, Rajan managed to escape from the police escort, under the pretense of attending to nature's call at Tiruvallur bus stand.

Earlier, Rajan escaped in a similar fshion from the police in Kanyakumari in 2002. However, acting on a tip off, a special police team nabbed him at Woraiyur, here after firing at him. In the incident, he received bullet injuries on his shoulder.

Efforts were on to nab the culprit.

A case has been registered and an investigation was, underway, police added.

UNI