Balangir: The police constable, who was arrested on charge of kidnapping a mentally-challenged girl from a government-run hostel in Balangir last Sunday, tried to escape from police custody by attacking the personnel guarding him on Wednesday afternoon.

Indramani Jued, a constable of Town police station, tried to flee from the police station when most of the police officers were out on duty maintaining law and order at the district collectorate, where the Aam Aadmi Party was staging a demonstration.

Jued allegedly pushed other police officials guarding him and ran away from the police station.

Those on duty immediately started shouting to alert other police officers. Later, they chased Jued for about 200 metres and finally apprehended him near the Yadav Bhavan area.

Later on Wednesday evening, he was remanded in judicial custody as his bail plea was rejected in the court.

In another development, the police are still clueless about the whereabouts of the girl, who used to stay at the Swadhar Hostel at Salepali. An official said Jued remained tight-lipped and refused to spill any beans even in the face of intense interrogation.

Acting on a complaint from the caretaker-cum-accountant of the hostel, Narad Chhatar, the police detained Jued, who had allegedly gone to the hostel on a bike and left the spot in a huff taking with him the girl.

The girl had been staying at the hostel since September 2016.

The girl had first been spotted roaming around aimlessly in Balangir town in September 2016. She could not say a word about her relatives or her native place. Some social workers then rescued her and kept her in the hostel.

Balangir Town police station inspector-in-charge Gokulananada Sahu said they were yet to ascertain the motive behind the abduction. "We produced the accused cop in court on Wednesday where his bail was rejected. Later in the evening, he was sent to Balangir jail," Sahu said.