Bhubaneswar, Jan. 7: A city-based builder, arrested by Jharkhand police from here for allegedly cheating a trader in that state, managed to escape while he was being taken to a local court.

The builder — Sanjay Kumar Sethi, 32, — escaped on the pretext of attending nature’s call.

A two-member team from Jharkhand had arrested the builder from the city yesterday with the help of Lingaraj police. After completion of the paper work, the accused was taken by the Jharkhand police to be produced in a local court.

On the way, Sethi requested the accompanying policemen to stop the vehicle as he wanted to relieve himself. As soon as the police stopped the vehicle on Ratha Road, Sethi escaped in an autorickshaw that he caught after running for about 100 meters.

“I saw two persons in a police uniform chasing a man who finally managed to get into an autorickshaw,” said Sourav Sahu, an eyewitness.

“We have registered a case following a complaint from the Jharkhand police,” said inspector in charge of Lingaraj police station Bidyut Panda.

A case was registered against the builder on December 24 under sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code. “The accused had bought a few motorcycles from a showroom in Jharkhand and was supposed to pay Rs 3 lakh. He had paid Rs 2 lakh in cash. He had given a cheque for Rs 1 lakh which subsequently bounced,” said a police official.